Orange Is the New Emily
by LinaDanielle
Summary: AU Emison Fanfiction: What happens when Emily is sent to jail and finds herself way off track and falling for another inmate, a notorious blonde known as Alison DiLaurentis? Will she be out in time to stop from falling, or will Alison have put her under her spell before its too late? (Brief mentions of Haleb and a developing Spoby relationship)
1. Intro

#Orange Is the New Emily

_**I was inspired after the latest episode of PLL to put a spin on the liars' and Ali's situation and write something new, and I'm not sure if I want to make it a whole new story like my full length one 'I'm Sorry I Kept You Waiting,' but if the reviews say so and push me towards it, I think I can manage. After all, Alison in that jail-orange was hot, to be completely honest, so I wouldn't have too much trouble finding some inspiration while imagining Emily dawning the same look.**_

_**So the so-called "prompt" / back story if you will, for this will be as follows: NO –A, AU, set in Rosewood and what makes the characters in PLL themselves are (hopefully) portrayed similar in this story…only this time, their connections with each other are slightly different. Anyways, Emily Fields is a young woman working her way through life, now the manager and co-owner of The Brew and her best friend is her other co-owner, Hanna Marin. The girls go on a shopping spree and little does Emily know, Hanna has fallen into her very old habits of shoplifting again. Taking advantage of Emily's overly-sized bag, she planted some very expensive jewelry on her best friend, thinking that she would get away like all the times before.**_

_**However, when the plan backfires, the girls get caught, and Emily is arrested by Officer Cavanaugh, what choice does this Hannily duo make? Emily takes the fall, agreeing with Hanna to serve some time. Why? Well, with Hanna's previous record, she would face more charges and more time behind bars than sweet, innocent Emily, who up until now, has had a clean record. (Now, I don't have much experience in the jailing system, I'm still an age that ends with 'teen,' so if this story continues, please don't chew me out for missing some details or flat out being wrong, although I would encourage your suggestions, if any).**_

_**Em braves the storm and is sentenced to a month in prison at Rosewood's finest. 'Keep your head low, and don't try to make any friends,' words directly from her lawyer Spencer Hastings. That's the plan Em wants to stick to, but what happens when a feisty little blonde destroys that plan, capturing the attention of Emily with her stories, gleaming smile and just the right amount of twinkle in her eye? What happens when Emily thinks she might be falling for the notorious Alison DiLaurentis?**_

_**So, that's what the future will hold for me and my laptop if any of you are interested. If you'd like to see more, please, please let me know. Leave your thoughts and comments, opinions and suggestions and I'll take it all into consideration. It's a rough draft right now, but I have a lot down in terms of plot and story development so I'm sure I can work some magic and make this A-mazing for you all.**_

_**Thanks for reading this, your support means more to me than sugar or a great outfit does to Hanna Marin. LOL**_

_**Lina xoxo**_


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1: Old Habits Die Hard_

Emily Fields was a young woman, just turned 25 and was already a co-owner for one of her favorite places to hang out at when she was a teen, The Brew. Not to mention the other owner was her long-time best friend, Hanna Marin. They had saved up their extra money and bought the Brew just 2 years ago after moving back home from college. Hanna and Emily were extremely close friends, they battled their college stress and drinking problems together…Emily was there for Hanna for everything, and Hanna was always the shoulder for Emily to lean on, so it only made sense that they bought a house together and eventually The Brew. Business was steady and everything seemed to be relatively normal. That is until Sunday afternoon when Hanna and Emily decide to take a shopping trip at the mall just a town over.

Hanna Marin was a woman who worked her ass off starting her sophomore year to get what she wanted; she had problems with family and becoming who she really was when she was younger. Her father had divorced her mother and left them both and with the teasing she often endured for her weight, Hanna Marin started acting out as a form of rebellion: she started to shoplift with her former best friend, Mona Vanderwall. Mona who gave Hanna the complete "it-girl" make-over and told Hanna it was okay, taking what she wanted, and it was never a bad thing unless they got caught, and they hardly ever did until their greed got in the way and they started to try and take things that was harder and harder to hide under their shirts or in their small purses. Not to mention Hanna was still vying for her father's attention but with no real "luck."

A couple of busts here and there and soon Hanna had made herself a record. It took some hard convincing from her four friends that she lost touch with after her freshman year to realize why she was doing what she was and that the longer she carried it out, the harder it would be to get to college or find a job. So Hanna 'unfriended' Mona, the glue on her once sticky fingers, and hasn't stolen anything in years. It's not until this day, that Hanna Marin realizes that old habits truly do die hard.

Emily walked around in her room in a towel and just as she was about to pull on some real clothes, Hanna comes barging in, "hey roomie!"

Em jumped, almost dropping her towel and turned around, rolling her eyes, "You know what Han, first college and then here, you think I would've gotten used to you barging in on me all the time."

Hanna laughed and jumped on her back on Emily's bed, "Yeah, you think, but I guess not. Oh well, maybe in a couple of years, you'll finally get used to me."

Emily laughed and continued getting dressed, Hanna had seen far worse than Emily naked before, but Emily still got dressed quickly, careful not to show anything other than her bare back, "Oh I'm used to you, I'm just not used to _you_ invading my personal space at random."

Hanna rolled over on her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows, "cute butt Em."

Emily faced turned red as she slid her panties and then her pants on, "Hanna would you shutup?"

Hanna laughed, "Em, I'm just playing, but the emphasis on 'you' made me think maybe you wouldn't mind me walking in on your personal space if I was, say, someone else?"

Emily froze and turned around, "No, Hanna, no, I'm not talking to you about this again."

"What? C'mon Em, you two had a thing in high school and now we're all back here and as adults, her parents can't separate you guys anymore."

"Hanna no. That's exactly the thing, Paige and I _had _a thing, but she went to California because she thought it was best and you know what happened after that."

Hanna huffed and sat all the way up, crossing her legs and watching her friend search for her shoes, "yeah, spent the rest of senior year, that summer and the beginning of freshman year hating her for it. But she came to visit you after sophomore don't you remember? It wasn't her fault."

Emily took a deep breath, remembering the way she spent months trying to get over Paige, loving her yet hating her so much for never returning any of her emails, or even telling her how to reach her. Little did Emily or even Paige know, that Paige's dad had monitored Paige's internet activity, blocking her from receiving anything from Emily and when Paige 'lost' her phone, her dad so graciously bought her a new one, but by then Emily was so upset and over Paige, that she wouldn't have called anyways, so both girls spent years thinking that the other just didn't want to talk to one another or attempt to save what they had.

It wasn't until Paige's father was on his death bed that he came clean and told Paige the truth. Paige was upset but how could she possibly be upset at her ailing father? She was, but it wasn't enough to not accept his apology. It was never too late to apologize…or so she hoped when she showed up drunk at Emily's dorm their junior year in college.

Emily was willing to hear her out, but it did hurt to open the old wounds, and with college life bursting at the seams and Emily talking to another girl in her class, it was just the wrong time. But Hanna was there when Paige showed up, drunk and babbling on about dumb she was and what a mistake she had made.

Hanna sat and watched Emily take care of the drunken Paige, listening and trying to make sense of what she was raving on about. The distant look in Em's eyes reflected pain and sadness but in Paige's eyes, Hanna could still see she cared for Emily, and when word got out that Paige was back in town, Hanna just thought that maybe Emily should give them another chance.

Paige came in to The Brew almost every day at the same time; just 5-10 minutes before Hanna and Emily would get there so that she could give a half smile and leave as she was just finishing her coffee, secretly wishing to "bump" into Emily and generate small talk. But Hanna knew she didn't come for the Americano, she came to see what little she could of Emily and some days Hanna just wished she would grow the balls to say something, anything to Emily, other than a nod or weak, "hey," or "nice to see you," that basic filler bullshit.

But Emily remembered things differently, she remembered when Paige came over to her dorm, she remembered saying she'd forgiven Paige but when she tried to make a move on Emily while Hanna was sound asleep, Emily had pushed her away and adverted her. It just wasn't right, and although they did have something genuine in high school, the sparks didn't fly like she had always hoped they would. Emily was tired of waiting for the sparks to fly. She was getting tired of safe and sound. She always went the easy route and maybe easy wasn't good enough for her. She wanted more, and was just tired. Tired of being predictable. She wanted to take a big risk, do something crazy.

The truth of the matter is, it would've have been easy to get back with Paige, but quite frankly, she was tired of easy. She wanted someone who would make her feel alive again, younger, freer, and a little but wild again. Little did Emily know she wouldn't be waiting that long until she felt that way.

"Yeah Hanna, I know it wasn't her fault but things were never hard with Paige, it was all too easy to be with her after we decided to go out. I felt like a robot, always playing it safe. I wanted to take more chances and when Paige came back around, I realized it was the old me that loved her. I changed and that means that my feelings about her changed so can we please, for the millionth time, not talk about this again?"

Hanna shrugged, knowing the frustration in Emily's voice was an indication that she should back off now. "Okay Em, I won't bring her up. But seriously, you need to put yourself back on the market. If you think you're hiding behind an apron and the front counter at The Brew, you're so wrong."

Emily finished dressing and started to comb her hair, shaking her head.

"What Em? Don't shake your head, you aren't blind, I know you know that so many people hit on you when you're there. Everyone can see it."

Emily laughed sarcastically, shaking her head again, "Yeah, and most of them are either under-aged testosterone filled boys in high school, leaving me their numbers on napkins, or guys who think leaving me a big tip in the jar is the key to taking me on a date. Yeah, but no thanks."

Hanna forced herself to imagine little teenage boys, thinking they stood a chance by leaving their numbers for Emily. She laughed out loud without meaning too, "okay so what I'm hearing is not enough girls are hitting on you? That's just wrong because even I'm starting to get jealous of the way some of the hot chicks drink you in like a tall glass of water. I don't know Em, maybe your gay-dar is just off."

"Come again? My what?" Emily put the brush down and waited for her friend to explain.

"Haha nothing Em, I'm just saying I've seen a lot of cute women our age stop by and I see the way they smile and look at you, you have to know at least some of the regulars who are into you like that?"

Emily didn't know why, but she started laughing, "Hanna, my 'gay-dar' is perfectly functional, I just don't find anyone in this town appealing to me."

Hanna sat up, "Oh then good, we can get dressed and go on a shopping spree in the town over. Maybe there's better fish to swim for outside of Rosewood. Let's see if you can reel one in?"

Emily laughed at Hanna's corny jokes, "Han, why are you obsessing over my love life, shouldn't you be worrying about your own? When does Caleb get back?"

Hanna rolled her eyes, "Em you don't even have a love life to begin with, so that is WHY I WORRY!"  
Emily launched herself at Hanna who got up surprisingly quick from the bed just as Em reached up and started throwing pillows at Hanna, "No Em," Hanna squealed, "not again!"

The girls arrived at the mall in the next town over and by the time they reached the last few stores, Em and Hanna had bags wrapped around their wrists, full of brand new clothes, shoes, make-up and accessories. And of course most of it was all what Hanna bought.

"Ooo Em, we're opening the bakery side of The Brew in two weeks, we totally have to buy you a statement piece for that dress you bought."

Em shrugged, "yeah, but the opening isn't that fancy, I don't need a new necklace or earrings, I'll wear something I have."

Hanna rolled her eyes, "c'mon, it's not like we can't afford to buy something new right now, business is freakin' great and we have a lot saved."

"I don't know Han, we don't need-"

"Hey, I thought you wanted to change, to stop being so predictable and easy?"

Em realized what angle Hanna was trying to play and tried to think of a way out. "Yeah, well, I don't go and buy new jewelry all the time plus I just don't see how that's gonna make or break me wearing that dress."

"Emily, it had a plunge neckline with a simple design, plus it fit you like a glove, all we need is something that gives the look a wow-factor, that extra pop, you know?"

Em laughed, "um last time we went to a dive bar, I'm sure I got carried away and showed you too much 'pop'."

"That was one time and it was like freshman year, okay? That doesn't count, c'mon Em, dare to be different for once, c'mon I'm not asking you to start cliff diving or start getting tattoos, just change it up in the wardrobe department?"

Em sighed and looked at all the bags in her hand, "ugh ok, you win this time, but can we put these in the car first and come back?"

They spent about an hour in the store when Hanna finally saw the necklace she said Em, had to have.

"Emily, OMG look at this necklace, it's perfect, we have to buy this."

Em groaned, her stomach calling her attention to the food court just across from her.

Hanna called her over, beckoning her over with her hand and when Em reached the glass counter, Hanna grabbed her shoulders and forced her head to look down at where her finger was pointing, "_that _one is perfect."

Em looked down and she had to admit, Hanna had an eye for picking out the perfect piece to complete whatever puzzle it was that they had, and most times, that was fashion. Em was looking inside the display for the pricing and just as she found it, a salesman, Alex said his nametag, walked up to them from the other side of the counter, "hello ladies, can I help you with anything?"

Em was going to politely greet the man but remember the price on the necklace and started to walk away, "umm, n-"

"Yes," Hanna said briskly, cutting in, um can my friend her try on that necklace? We have a big fancy party in two weeks and we wanted to get a statement piece for her dress, we want it to compliment her, but not take away too much from the look.

Alex nodded and smiled the perfect 'how-may-I-help-you smile' and reached in his pocket for the keys. Once retrieved, he unlocked the cabinet and pulled the diamond necklace from where it was on and when he laid it out flat on a cloth on the counter, Em realized how badly she might actually want this necklace. But it was over $10,000. Even if Em wasn't worried about saving her money, she knew this wasn't the wisest financial decision to make.

"Well, don't you want to try it on?"

Em looked up at the man's eager eyes, "yeah, but I might love it even more when it is on, so to refrain from wanting it and spending money I might need later, I won't try it on right now, but thank you, it's a gorgeous piece."

Alex nodded but could hear the distain in Em's voice, "as a matter of fact, we have very similar pieces in the store for cheaper, so if you would like, I can show you some of those?"

Em looked to Hanna, who looked up from the counter as Alex started walking away, poor guy Hanna thought, he stands about 0% chance with Em…maybe even like -10%.

Hanna seen the way Em looked at the necklace and could tell how much she wanted it, and suddenly, a long, repressed urge and tingle crept up her body and into the tips of her fingers. She looked down and seen that Em had left her purse and even more surprising, Alex had left the necklace on the counter, unguarded and sitting in the open as clear as day. Hanna knew there were no cameras, and the last mall cop seemed to be stuck in line waiting for a pizza pretzel so Hanna made it up in her mind to do "it" (what she had quit), just one more time. It made Hanna feel better, and ease the small butterflies in her stomach as she thought, _it's for Emily, Emily wants this, she deserves it and I'll just tell her that. Afterall, we do have enough money, so it won't be like I'm lying._

It these same thoughts that thanks Em for being so attractive, that Hanna says as she wraps the necklace in the cloth and puts it away skillfully in Em's rather oversized purse/bag.

Hanna was sure that she wasn't going to get caught, but as her and Em were about to leave the store, Emily assuming, empty-handed, and the alarm sounds off, Hanna realizes she just brought on a world or pain for the two of them.

"What?" Em exclaims, "it's probably my belt or something."

"Hanna do you still have the shopping bags?" Em looked around, trying to find any reason to let themselves off the hook, as the more frantic she tried to explain why the alarm went off, the guiltier Hanna felt.

"Emily, stand where you are, and give me your purse."

Em looked quizzically at her friend and before she could even take another step, strong male hands grabbed her arm, not too roughly, and a deep voice sounded, "m'am I'm going to have to search your purse please?"

_Oh shit, Hanna thought, what the hell do I do?!_

Em laughed nervously, looking at Hanna who had a small crossbody bag with her, hardly big enough to keep her phone, wallet and keys in.

Em looked at the _cop, _not mall security, who seemed to come magically out of nowhere and took him in: he was tall, at least 6'2" and had fair skin, blue eyes, tousled brown hair and from his build Em could just tell he was fit. Em thought, eh, he's attractive. This officer, Officer Cavanaugh, was actually handsome and he looked too gentle to be a cop, so it startled Emily when Officer Cavanaugh rapidly spun her, gripped her wrists in one hand behind her back and reached into Em's purse still hanging on her shoulder and pulled out the same necklace she and Hanna were looking at not too long ago.

"Officer, I'm so sorry, I have no idea how that got in there. I swear I was not stealing that. Hanna tell him I didn't steal that necklace, Hanna?"

Hanna was red with anger, anger at herself and for being scared, she didn't want to be put behind bars but she definitely didn't want Em to face any charges easy.

"Em, I, I- I." Hanna stuttered and as her eyes darted from the necklace to Em and from the officer's hands to her feet, Emily knew exactly what was going on. She wasn't going to flat out blame Hanna. She knew if Hanna got busted, again, they would probably send her away for far longer. Em had to make a decision for the both of them, right now, and the longer she waited to say something, the more her adrenaline kicked in and her heart rate sped up. This wasn't how she pictured it going, but maybe this was the change/adventure/daring something that she had been waiting for. Em looked at Hanna who looked equally guilty and terrified and nodded. And that nod spoke volumes, Hanna stopped shaking and she knew exactly what a huge sacrifice Emily was about to take for her.

Em took a deep breath and looked over her shoulder at Officer Cavanaugh who handed Alex and the jeweler back the necklace, and closed her eyes for a second as of mentally preparing herself from this, "alright, so are you going to tell me my rights officer?" Em spoke with a sass that Hanna knew was fake and allowed herself to be escorted out of the mall. Hanna trailed behind, still dumbfounded and in shock, shaking from what just happened, her head spinning with thinking about how she was going to fix this and scared to think that Emily was really going to take the fall for her for something she brought upon on her own. Hanna slammed her hands down on the steering wheel, cussing at herself and angry crying. She drove in the direction of the Rosewood police department, since it was the closest, and as she sped through traffic, the image of her best friend sitting in the back of the cop car and the sound of the officer's voice echoed throughout her entirety. She had thought he stopped for good. She hadn't felt an urge in years, and her she was, stealing jewelry and letting Em take the fall, as she stood there, stupid and didn't do anything.

A better question that Hanna was still processing, was why in the hell would Emily allow herself to take that fall at all? Why not tell the officer the truth? With one background check, it would be clear to anyone who should be sitting in the back of that cop car.

But as the saying goes, old habits die hard, and Hanna learned, she hadn't killed it yet.

_*****AN: Wow, if you guys are still following me with this story, I honestly applaud and thank you so much, I can't believe I was foolish enough to upload the "intro" and take this long to give you just this first chapter, I'm so sorry for the wait, college has just been, college! Lol**_

_**Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter so far, I should've posted it sooner, but I couldn't wait any longer and I just can't find the time yet to write chapter 2&amp;3\. I wanted to post those 3 all at the same time, but sh** happens, so here it is.**_

_**Tell me what you think and since this will eventually be Emison, shoot me your ideas about why Ali is in jail? No one has guessed it so far.**_

_**Also let me know what you want to see next from me? I've gotten requests for some pretty interesting AU stories, but please just let me know and I'll add it to my "to-do" list, I appreciate it.**_

_**Don't forget: Please review**____** ! Love, Lina**_

_Chapter 2: Repercussions_

_Em is taken in for questioning and Hanna is still in turmoil about what to do. What happens to their friendship and personal lives when Em explains her plan? _


	3. Chapter 2

_****AN: omg you guys, thank you so much for all the support on the last chapter, it means so much to me! Honestly, to escape the "real world" and come and write here is a real joy, my little stress reliever, and seeing/hearing from you makes it that much better, so thank you for giving me a reason to come back so soon! **_

_**I love that you some of you were able to pick up fairly easily on Hanna and Emily's close friendship, it was a short chapter, so for you guys to feel that, well: my goal has been accomplished. So, with that, I hope you like this chapter as well. BTW, I have a fun one-shot coming up soon! (Teaser: Em teaching her own dance class? Hmm, if I get enough push for it, it'll be up by Monday)**_

_**Leave your reviews and ideas as always, and enjoy.**_

_Chapter 2: Repercussions_

Emily was thrown into a holding cell down at the Rosewood Police Department and all she could think was if they were going to feed her soon. It was stupid, she knew exactly how serious the charges could be for stealing, but her stomach growled and her mind went straight to food.

It went from food to the realization of what she had just done, of where she was. Her mom was going to kill her. Then Em thought to what Hanna had done. Why? Everyone, Hanna included thought that that addiction had gone away for good. _Guess not._

Em played with the hem of her shirt and thought the whole scene over and why even when she realized what had happened that she so easily took the fall for Hanna.

*_Think Fields, you can't let Hanna get arrested, she'll get real time, she wouldn't last in there. Think, what can you do? Think Em. _Then it hit her as she made eye contact with her long-time best friend. _I can do this. Hanna will owe me like no other, but I, Emily Fields, can take the fall for this. I have a clean record, saintly, so what's the worse? I have to protect Hanna._

Those were her thoughts, always feeling the need to protect those she loved, no matter what, and now here she was, sitting in Rosewood's holding cell at the Police Department. She just got arrested for "stealing" an expensive….super expensive….diamond studded necklace. So why wasn't she freaking out?

Part of the reason Em was so calm was because the moment Officer Cavanaugh came over, Em had already accepted the idea of being arrested. _Well, that's something I can tell my kids. No, it would be a great party story, Hanna and I will laugh about this in no time, now I can't be labeled as predictable. Would innocent little Emmy get arrested?_

No, she wouldn't so Em decided pretty definitively that she was doing this.

Emily didn't have to talk herself that into following up with this, this plan. But she did think what the plan would be if things when from bad to worse? _Hanna will have a plan, I can hire a lawyer._

Then she thought about Hanna, _where is she_? Em wasn't worried though, she knew Hanna wasn't far behind them when she had been put in the back of the cop car, so Em slumped against the dull brick wall and closed her eyes, waiting for the blonde to come barging in.

"You know, for just getting busted for attempted theft, you sure are pretty calm in there. You don't have a record, you're as clean as a nun's sheets, people usually act- differently. Freak out, cry, get angry, beg to call their parents, ask what the bail is…," another officer was standing in front of the unit, looking over Emily like she was a puzzle and he was trying to fit all the pieces together.

"You're not one of those crazy, looney-bin women are you? I'd hate to see a gal like you in Radley."

Em opened one eye and then sat up straighter, opening the other eye. She shook her head to the crazy comment, looking over this other officer, Officer Reyes, and opened her mouth to say something, but realized that she needed to watch exactly what she said from here on out so that she didn't get into "trouble" or cause any suspicion about the "offense she committed."

"Well, Officer Reyes, I can assure you I am not crazy, but I have, however, recently decided that I'm no longer a "usual" person."

Hanna sat in the parking lot with her hands gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles paled. She didn't realize how hard that was until her phone ringed and she jumped, her hands cramping as soon as she let the steering wheel go. She picked it up, the number was unknown but she answered anyway.

"Hel-hello?"

"Hanna, its Em."

Hanna let out a long exasperated sigh and shook her butterflies over, "Jesus Em, what are you doing?"

Em chuckled and Hanna could imagine the smug look she probably had on her face, "Um, using my one phone call to call you. But now that I think about it, I should've used it to order a pizza. Yeah, I'm starved."

"Emily, what the hell?"

"What, Hanna? I'm hungr-"

"Forget the food dammit!" Hanna brought the heel of her palm to the steering wheel and clenched her teeth, "What are you doing? Why did you let yourself get arrested? I'm so sorry, I should be the one in there right now, not you. Em I'm sorry, I know I said I quit, that it was over, but I got that feeling in my fingers and, and -"

"Han, calm down, it's going to be okay. I know what I'm doing, and I knew exactly what I was doing in that mall too. It's okay Hanna, it was either one or both of us."

"No, it was either me or you, and it was me."

"Really? Because I think I'm the one in-"

"You're not helping."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. I should be more serious."

"yeah, you should. Wait, you're not serious already? Emily, YOU JUST GOT ARRESTED."

"I know Hanna, I'm not stupid."

"Why Em, why not just let me go. I have to tell the cops it was me."

"What? No. Hanna Marin, you will do no such thing, I forbid you."

"Forbid? Why? Emily, I can't let my best friend go to jail for me."

"Yeah, well I can handle it. I spent a whole summer with my dad a boot camp when I thought I wanted to join the army, just like him. It shouldn't be much worse than that. Plus, I don't think Pervy Pete will be in an all women's correctional facility, I'm safe."

"Em, this isn't funny."

"I'm not laughing, but I am running out of time, that or Reyes is shooing a fly."

Hanna sat in silence, her head reeling from all that was happening and more so the fact that Emily had done what she did and what made things weirder for Hanna was that Em was so calm.

"Hanna, I think I do have to go now, but hey," Em's voice lowered to a whisper, "I'm fine, I'll be fine. Think of it this way, we're separated for a few months with me in and out of here with good behavior, or we're gonna be apart for a lot longer if you come clean and they add this to your long record already. I don't think they'll take lightly to repeat offences, especially now that you aren't some hormone-crazed teenager."

Hanna was close to tears, how she came across a friend like Em, she will never know.

Her closeness to tears must have precipitated to much more, "Hanna, are you crying? Please, don't. Listen, they have to hold me over night and then I'll have a hearing tomorrow where they decide how much time I'm getting, okay. I want you to go home and get rest, okay, don't stress off of this, I'm a big girl, I'll be fine, and I'll see you tomorrow."

Hanna sucked in a deep breath, trying to fill her lungs with as much confidence as there was oxygen. _Okay Hanna, you have the bestest best friend God has ever put on this Earth, and you will not let her down, do as she says and in the morning, you'll find a way to fix this._

"Okay, Em, for once I'll listen. I can't believe you – we – are going to go through with this."

Em shook her head and realized Hanna couldn't see her. "It's going to be fine Hanna, besides, you're my best friend. We survived high school and college together, we can do this. I'd just about do anything for you, and if our places were reversed, I'm almost sure you'd do the same. Of course, my mom will probably kill me before I'm put in an orange jumpsuit, but that's a chance I'm willing to take."

Hanna laughed genuinely into the phone, "Hah, thanks for the vote of confidence, but I'm afraid she might kill me first if she finds out."

"Haha, no promises."

"Em?"

"Yeah, Hanna?"

"I'm so sorry. I should've kept my hands to myself."

"Stop. Stop apologizing. I decided this, okay?"

Hanna nodded, "Emily?"

"Yeah? And don't say sorry again."

Hanna smiled, "I'm not. I just- I love you okay?"

Em sighed through the phone, she was tired and hungry and her knee hurt from standing for so long, "I love you too Han."

"Em?"

Em laughed at the repetitiveness of their conversation and sighed into the phone, "Yes Hanna, what is it this time?"

Hanna smirked, "You're right. You should've called for pizza."

Before Hanna hung up, Em could hear her laughter. It was different – sadder, stressed, pained with guilt – but nonetheless it made Em laugh too.

Em sat back down and nodded at Officer Reyes that she was done with the phone.

"I was only waving on because Cavanaugh was gonna and rush you, I thought I could save you from dealing with all that." Reyes, smiled at Em and immediately the tone and the ways he was looking at her clicked. Em shook her head, sure she used to be flattered, but now, it just annoyed her. She wished she had someone in her life so she wouldn't get hit on like this. Someone to claim so people would back off.

Em smiled, "uh, oh yeah, thanks, I appreciate it."

Reyes walked to the holding room and unlocked it. When Em was in and sat on the cot, he closed it and stood there, looking as if he was going to say something else. Em looked up and raised her eyebrow, "anything else, officer?"

He lifted his chin and flashed her his best I-think-I'm-a-sexy-cop smirk, "you know, if you weren't behind these bars and we met somewhere else, I might want to take you out sometime."

Em shook the thought away and smiled, "yeah sure, and if you had boobs and long hair and maybe were, oh, I don't know? A girl, then maybe, just maybe you might have had a chance."

Officer Reyes' eyes opened wide and then he cleared his throat, the crimson color spreading throughout his face, "uh, I – uh-"

Em stifled her laugh as best as she could but she couldn't keep the smile away, "listen, it's ok, honestly, it happens all the time, and I would be flattered but-"

"Yeah, forget I said anything. Erm, get some rest Fields, your trial is tomorrow." Reyes stood erect and deepened his voice as another police walked by, and assuming the patches over his uniform meant something he was obviously Reyes's superior.

"Good one, Reyes."

The officer rolled his eyes, and smiled, "this is weird, first, I try flirting, only to get turned down, then you make fun of me, and now I have the sudden urge to invite you like a football game and chug beers with you. What's your deal…Fields, right?"

Em laughed and brought her knees to her chest, "Uh, yeah it's Fields, Emily Fields."

"Emily, nice. I'm-"

"Reyes?"

He looked down as if checking to see that she didn't read minds or something, "uh yeah, Reyes, Joshua Reyes."

"Well, Josh, yes turning down men has often led me into great friendships with them. That includes the occasional televised sporting events and cold alcoholic beverages." Em spoke as if she was one of those snobby girls she had to deal with in high school and like some of the know-it-alls from college.

Reyes laughed a good hearty laugh and nodded his head, "I won't ask what you did, but I don't think you be sentenced for too long. Your record is clean, you didn't get away with anything and I don't think you'll be a problem."

Em nodded, "thanks."

"No problem, uh listen, this is weird again, but my shift is ending, but if you need something, like a blanket or something, wait until you see a short guy with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes and you can ask him, tell him Reyes said it was cool. His name is Coleson, he's an old buddy of mine."

Em nooded, "thanks Reyes, I didn't think police officers would usually act so kind towards their "prisoners.""

"Well, Miss Fields, I can assure you," he started, mocking Em from earlier, with a hand on his chest, "that I'm not crazy, but I have, however, recently decided that I'm no longer a "usual" cop.""

"Haha, well played."

"Why thank you." Josh bowed and laughed when he straightened.

"Okay, when I get done with my time, you are so coming to the Brew for drinks, I own half of it, so it'll be on me."

He nodded and looked impressed, "deal. Till then, I must bid you goodbye."

Em laughed, "yeah, I'm pretty sure you're breaking all the rules of conduct or something."

Joshua shrugged and started to walk away, "so fire me."

"You're fired."

"Great."

Em laid down, when her Josh had left and sat staring at the ceiling. _Well, that was so beyond weird. Wait until I tell Hanna about my new "friend," I'm sure she'll be thrilled. _

Emily tried her best to fall asleep as the springs found their way to her back and ass. Her stomach grumbled again and she remembered she had a granola stashed in her jacket pocket. She pulled it out and ate in silence. _This isn't so bad, you can do this Em. Other than this crap dinner, the repercussions haven't been so bad. Plus, you made a new dorky friend in a uniform. This new story just keeps getting better and better._

_*****Soooo? Tell me, what are your thoughts? On Hannily? On ANYTHING? lol. This is AU so there will be a few new original characters popping up here and there, I hope you liked Reyes? Let me know people **___

_**I'll be back as soon as I can, but until then, I love ya all and please review!**_

_**-Lina xoxo**_

_Next Chapter: The Sentence for a "Good Girl"_

_Hanna hires the best lawyer in the area, Spencer Hastings to represent Emily. Later, Em goes to court and is given her sentence time. (Intro to early Spoby, and how long do you think Em will get?)_


	4. Chapter 3

_The Sentence for a "Good Girl" (part 1)_

_Hanna hires the best lawyer in the area, Spencer Hastings to represent Emily. Later, Em goes to court and is given her sentence time. _

"Wakey, wakey Fields, you have court today."

Em groaned and rolled over…well she _tried, _but there was nothing left to roll onto so she surely woke up all the way when the side of her body met the cold cement floor.

"Ugh, shit." Em cracked open an eye, remembering where she was.

"Damn, you alright?"

Em sat up slowly and looked up at Josh, or Officer Reyes, who was trying quiet clumsily to find the right key to unlock the "door" aka set of bars with a lock.

Em shook her head, "what do you think?"

He laughed and shook his head, "I think you just fell and I should've laughed but I didn't."

Em smiled slightly, "yeah, I guess you didn't. Thanks Josh."

"Uh, hey about that."

"About what?"

"You calling me Joshua-Josh, you uh, you can't call me that around here."

"Around here? Well 'here' is pretty much where I'm going to be for a while so…"

"Uh, right, so I mean, some asshole told the chief we were on a first name basis last night, and the chief pulled me aside to make sure nothing fishy was going on."

"Well I don't always like fish, but if your chief was talking about the bathroom here? Then yes, I'd say it's very fishy."

Josh laughed quietly and shook his head, "Emily-uh, Fields, you know what I mean."

"Yeah I guess, but why? It's not like we'll be around to braid each other's hair and watch Netflix in here."

"True, true, plus my hair hasn't grown to braiding length yet."

Em looked at Josh's fresh buzz cut and nodded, allowing herself to laugh.

"No but really, this is a weird ass 'friendship' if you want to call it that, but I_ am_ one of the guards at the correctional facility, so if _this," _and he pointed between them, "keeps on keeping on, then I can be moved to another unit and I'm not too keen on transfers."

"Wait, you're a guard at the correctional facility? Then what the hell are you doing here?"

"Yes, I am. I'm not a pencil pusher. I don't sit behind desks and fill out paperwork and make coffee runs. Those days are over, I'm actually doing something I like."

"Oh? And what's that, peruse though the fine selection of female convicts in orange?"

Josh shook his head, "No Fields, I don't do that, plus I don't really like the color orange on my women."

"Sure, you're a guy, guys don't care."

"I'm not just any guy."

"I'll say."

"Look, I'm a guard there, but once a week, I get to kind of have my own art class, I can kind of teach some of you guys the basic skills that a kindergarten finger painter could master."

"Really? They allow that kind of stuff."

"Yeah, really."

"Oh."

"Yeah, and to answer your other question, I got sent here because Rosewood PD was short staff and I got sent to drive the van here and wait until you guys were sentenced to drive you up there."

"You guys?"

"Uh yeah, we have some other women getting transferred from a few cities in the surrounding area. You all have your court dates today."

Emily sighed, for a moment she thought that somehow Hanna was getting thrown in her too. Em was okay with doing this, she just didn't want to see Hanna on this side of the bars.

"So, what's the plan today?"

"Well, Hanna Marin is listed as your only contact. So she can pick you up and take you to your home. But another officer as well as myself will be accompanying you. There you can get dressed appropriate for court, maybe eat something and then your sentencing, or trial, whichever you prefer is at 3. And from there, the judge is going to give you what they think will compensate for the crime you committed."

"And my lawyer?"

"Ah yes, it seems like you alone could not afford one, and the state was going to award you one but it seems like Hanna Marin has found you one. While you're at home, you will also be meeting with your lawyer, it should be brief since you didn't do anything that major."

"Dammit Hanna, she shouldn't have."

"Aha yeah, damn her, hiring a lawyer instead of letting you get the crap one you would've gotten had she not found one."

Emily squinted her eyes, "you're not exactly standing behind your badge right now are you?"

"Oh I still am, but I know for sure that the 'free lawyers' aren't nearly as good as the ones that you pay. Besides, I'm sure you didn't do anything that bad where you'll need your lawyer for long period of time."

"I didn't." Emily whispered louder than she meant to, and Reyes looked down at her and crossed his arms.

"What did you do anyways?"

Emily swallowed; she would have to say this later today so she might as well practice making it believable, "I tried to steal a necklace from a jeweler."

"Really?"

"Yes really. What did you think I did? Streak the streets, graffiti a building, maybe I was involved with a hit and run,"

"Nothing, it's just, you didn't seem so sure."

"Yeah well, it's the first time I've committed a felony, sorry if I'm not in the bragging stage yet."

"That's not what I meant, I was just saying that-"

"Emily! Oh god, thank god you're okay." Hanna came barging in through the 'door' past Officer Reyes and right to Em.

"Hanna, okay, you're squeezing the air from my lungs."

Hanna released the vice that was her arms from around Emily and stood from her squatting position, "oh right, sorry Em, I was just worried. I came as soon as I could. God, it smells awful in here, and oh look at your hair. C'mon let's go."

"Hanna I can't just walk outta here, can I Jo- Officer Reyes?"

Reyes, cleared his throat, "Uh yeah Fields, you and Ms. Marin must be escorted. I'll go and get Officer Cavanaugh. Uh you two can wait in the holding room next door."

Reyes left and another officer, old enough to be one of the girls' grandfather escorted them to a holding room and left, the door behind him shutting with a click.

"What was that about?" Hanna asked, referring to the brief interaction between Em and Jo-Officer Reyes.

"Nothing. That's Officer Reyes. He was in here last night. He was surprisingly nice."

Hanna raised her eyebrow, "huh, Reyes. Latino. Mmm he's kinda caliente, isn't he Em?"

"Um, I wouldn't know, I'm not into men."

"No shit, but c'mon, admit he's not bad on the eyes."

"Well you put it like that, I guess you're right."

"Damn right, I'm right. That's a macho man in a uniform, what's not to like?"

"You want an answer, how about his 'baton.'" Em air quoted baton and Hanna burst into laughter at Emily's innuendo.

"Look, prison is changing you already."

"Shut up Hanna." Em played punched Hanna's arm and Hanna shied away.

"Please don't work out too much in there, you're already super strong, and don't get any tattoos, and oh for the love of god," Hanna looked around and then leaned in towards Em's ear, "don't drop the soap."

"Hanna freakin Marin! You. Are. Not. Helping."

Both girls started laughing until they stopped to catch their breath, their sides cramping slightly.

"Em?"

Em was still coming down from the laughter, "yeah Han?"

Hanna's eyes lost a little bit of twinkle, "I just want to say, that you can drop this you know? Before we go to court or even when we get there, you can admit that it wasn't-"

"Shhh, not here Hanna. They could have wires in this room." Em had her finger on Hanna's lips, but Hanna pulled Em's hand away.

"Okay, but you know that I wouldn't be mad at you, you have every right to come clean. If you're too afraid, I can testify and-"

"Hanna, shut up please, I made my mind up. But you can try to convince me later, back at home okay?"

"Okay, and just so you know we hired you the best lawyer I could find in the area. Spencer Hastings. Her whole family is a bunch of lawyers and they've never lost a case, so you shouldn't get too much time in there."

"Hanna you shouldn't have done that, the prosecutor isn't going to find anything to build a greater case against me.

"Yeah, well I was talking to Caleb and he's worried that somehow I'll be pulled in for questioning."

"Why would you worry about that?"

"Well, I heard from up front that the Rosewood PD are looking for the tape from the jeweler's, plus how suspicious will that be when I'm in that court room and they have a girl with a squeaky clean record getting thrown in jail for something her best friend has a long history with doing."

"Hanna, it's going to be okay, but what do you mean, they're looking for the tape from the jeweler's? There's a tape?"

"Apparently there was supposed to be one, but the tape for that day is missing."

Emily had her signature worry face on, "Hanna, you didn't-?"

"No, I swear, I didn't. that's why I'm nervous, what if it randomly pops up somewhere? It'll have me stealing that necklace and you lying about it. You'll be an accessory to theft or you were obstructing justice and I be thrown in for life."

"Hanna, calm down, that's not going to happen okay. Please can we stop talking about this and enjoy the last few hours we'll have with each other?"

Hanna took a deep breath, nodded and hugged Emily, this time making sure she could breathe just fine.

Reyes walked in as they pulled apart. "Alright. Fields, Ms. Marin, time to go."

# # # # # # #

_****AN: This is NOT the end of this chapter, but it was what I could do in my little free time, make sure you're following me or this story to stay up to date with my updates.**_

_**Remember, reviews are part of the fuel that keeps me going. I'm so excited about this story, I have nothing planned except about 100 ideas swirling through my mind: shocking discoveries, twisted plots full of drama, love, betrayal, friendship, angst…wait, have I said too much? **_

_**Please review, telling me anything you want.**_

_**Expect the second part of this very soon.**_

_**Lina**_


	5. Chapter 4

_***Did you guys miss me? Lol well I'm sorry it took quite a while to continue, but here it is, and no worries for those who commented/reviewed, Ali will be in the next chapter….and Emison will begin**_

_The Sentence for a "Good" Girl (Part 2)_

"Hanna, what the hell am I wearing? I'm going to court, not a club." Em walked awkwardly out of Hanna's bathroom and into her friend's room trying, but failing, to cover her chest.

Hanna looked up from her bed, a smirk on her face, "damn Em, you look hot."

Em's cheeks reddened and Hanna suppressed a laugh.

"Han, c'mon, seriously, you're not helping."

Hanna shook her head, "I have to disagree, I think I'm helping all of those who see you step outside of this house."

"Hanna, I can't go looking like this, c'mon give me something else."

"No, what's wrong with what you have on, you look hot."

Em gave that look: of irritation and disbelief and Hanna shrugged.

"My point exactly, I mean look at this!" Em pointed to the black pencil skirt she was burrowing.

"I am looking and you have legs to die for."

"Hanna, I need to be more covered."

"You are! It's not my fault that you have nothing but your tomboy clothes and nothing business like. I gave you my shirt, but I fill those out more, so the cut in the front is never really that low…aaaaand I don't have as long of legs as you, so of course the skirt is going to be shorter on you. Deal with it, besides, your hot bod might actually help sway the judges decision."

Em laughed and moved to throw the nearest pillow at her best friend, "you did not just say that."

Hanna sat up and put her right hand out, imitating how you swear an oath in court, "I swear I did, I and I will not be taking it back."

"Ugh, at least give me a blazer."

"Fine, how about a hot pink one?"

"How about I kill you?"

"Alright there killer, no pink, we'll go black, like your soul."

"Oh shutup dork."

Both friends laughed and as Em put the final touches to her look, she faced Hanna, "you ready to do this?"

Hanna merely nodded, but she had an unreadable expression on her face, that Emily quickly picked up on.

"Hanna, hey, I still have a few more minutes before the hour is up, what's wrong."

Hanna sat on her bed and crossed her legs, resting her hands in her lap before speaking, "nothing Em."

"You're lying. You know it, and you know I know it. Now," Em said sitting on the edge of the bed to face the blonde, "you were just cracking jokes about my ass and now you're like this, what's wrong? And don't give me any bullshit."

"It's just," Hanna struggled to get the words out in time; she stammered and then sighed loudly, trying to regain her composure.

"Han, it's okay, whatever it is, you can tell me."

"It's just, it's my fault you're doing this."

"Hanna-"

"No let me finish Em. I convinced you to go to the mall with me, to go into that store and I didn't even want to go, I _had _to."

Emily was genuinely confused now, what do you mean you _had _to. What, why?"

"I, I- I got a text, I thought it was a joke when the first one came, but then, and now…." Hanna's voice broke and she was soon in tears.

"Woah, woah, it's ok, tell me Hanna, why'd you go into that jeweler's? You haven't even had the urge to steal in forever, what-"

"Caleb." Hanna blurted.

_What?_

"Han, I can't draw the lines myself here, I don't see how this is all connected, how does Caleb have anything to do with this, I thought he was in California?"

"He is…or was, the truth is I don't know where he is. Last week I got a text about 'the end is near, you'll pay for what you've done.' I laughed and I knew it was creepy but I ignored it. The, the next day, I got another, but this time it was a countdown. It read '7 days,' that was freaking me out so I called Caleb and he hacked my phone from over there and said the number was untraceable."

"Han, why didn't you tell me any of this?"

"I didn't think it was a big deal: the store was doing good, you were officially done with Paige and we were talking about the expansion so I just didn't want to bug you. But now that this all happened, I had to tell you the truth."

"So there's more?"

"Yeah, so after those texts, Caleb wanted to come back to Rosewood, he was supposed to be here 3 days ago, but he never came. The third day of these freaky texts I got one saying 'you can't run to your husband anymore, he's the one who needs to pay, say your goodbyes'…" Hanna's breathing had changed and she was starting to shake, but Em was afraid of grabbing her friend, in fear of breaking her any further than she seemed.

"Did you tell the cops?"

"The messages go away right before I can go to the police station, I don't know how and since they can't trace it, they hardly believe it's a real threat…but it is." Hanna was in tears by now and Em forgot her resistance and held her friend, "tell me why you went into the jeweler's."

Hanna kept sobbing, but sat up, not to get her tears on Em's skirt, "whoever was sending me those texts…." Hanna took a deep breath, "they took Caleb."

Em's jaw could have dropped to the floor, "what, how, why, how do you know?"

Hanna calmed herself, she had been carrying this weight for so long, talking about it now was extremely difficult, "they sent a picture, he was tied and holding that day's newspaper. A text followed after, I want $200,000 or he dies."

"What? Why? Caleb couldn't have possibly made any enemies, and why you?"

Hanna was shaking her head and wiping her tears, "I don't know Em, I don't know, but for some reason I feel like I was supposed to get caught, like I was almost being set up. I thought of taking the money from our business, but we finalized the papers for the expansion so I knew most of it was gone, plus not all of it is mine, I couldn't do that to you, so I thought I could just sell a few of my things, but it still wasn't enough. Then the texts came and there was a picture, a cartoon of a thief leaving a jeweler's…and I tried Em, I tried to not get you involved and I wanted to ignore the picture, but it all happened too fast, and I was desperate, and I'm so sorry."

Em let her arm fall from her friend, as she tried to process what was happening, and what has happened.

"So now what? When did you receive the last text?"

Hanna swallowed, "just now."

Emily's eyes widened, "what did it say?"

"You have a friend to take your place, but does Caleb?"

Emily felt a cold chill run down her spine, "Hanna, you have to tell the cops." Em got up and made a move to get to the door, but she stopped when she felt a hand wrap around her wrist, "it's not their problem Em, I've tried. Caleb was last in California and since he lives there too, there's nothing the cops her in Rosewood can do about it."

Emily shook her head, "this is so fucked up. You should go to California, but you can't alone. I don't want you to go alone.

Em looked at her friend who only nodded, "I can't go, I have to stay here, whatever kind of sick shit this person is playing, well they've got ways to see everything Em, I have to stay here or they'll hurt him." Emily wanted to open her mouth but then Officer Reyes came up the stairs and knocked, "Fields, time is up, be out in five."

Emily swallowed hard and brought her friend back into her arms, "it'll be okay Han, it'll be okay, I'll be out soon and I can fly to California, whoever the fuck is doing this, well he's going to be the one who pays, in the meantime, you can stay here, and talk to the cops, I'm good with Reyes, maybe he has some connections, okay?"

Hanna simply sat and shook her head, "what do I do Em, you'll be gone, Caleb…is gone, and my mom moved to Michigan with Ted, I just, what if they don't let Caleb go, what if I can't get the money?"

"FIELDS, Let's go!"

"Hanna," Em rushed, "we'll fix this okay? Come down to the station after my hearing and we'll talk for as long as we can?"

Hanna nodded and hugged Em in her arms, "I don't know why you're doing this for me, I don't even know what I did to have a friend like you, I love you Em."

Emily hated the fact that she was leaving and wouldn't be in this very room for a while, but she knew she had to go.

"I know why, it's because I love you and strangely enough, it feels like I have to, like it's the right thing to do, I don't know, but we'll figure it out, I swear." Em pulled away with her hands on Hanna's shoulders and looked her in the eye, "be strong Han, we'll figure something out."

And with that, Reyes was knocking, opening the door slowly and escorting Emily down the flight of stairs and to the awaiting cop car.

x-x-x-x-x

"4 months, 3 with good behavior."

"Really? And is that good considering, I mean, with having a clean record up until now I guess?"

Em nodded, "yeah, that lawyer you hired, the Hastings chick, she killed it in there, it wasn't exactly a court battle we see on the TV, but she was great, she said that that was the best deal I could've been offered."

"That's great, so you'll be out in 3 months, I can survive that."

"Well, three is only with good behavior."

"Please Em, you're practically a saint, what trouble could you possibly get into in there?"

Both girls laughed, "hah, yeah I guess you're right, I'll be out in no time."

x-x-x-x

But, little did either girl know, that there _was_ trouble where Em was going, and it was waiting in cell block 13 J, some trouble with blonde hair and blue eyes, and that was Alison DiLaurentis.

x-x-x-x

_***short chapter, but it is Finals now and I had to do something to distract myself from the stress…anyways, I hope you are all intrigued now with this story from this little update? I finished planning a plot for this story and holy shit I'm excited and I can't wait until school ends so I can focus on writing and updating all of my stories and starting a new project. Please leave your comments and reviews below! Be back when I can**_

_**Lina**_


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5 – Job Assignment_

"Fields!" A guards voice boomed behind Em and she jumped,  
"Here, uh, I'm right here." Em scrambled from where she was sitting and made her way towards the guard, holding a door open for her.

"Yeah, ok, follow me."

"Okay, w-where are we going?"

The big guard huffed, "I'm going to lunch, but you're going to go in that room, get stripped, searched and assigned your new job and room."

Em wanted to stop dead in her tracks but there was another guard walking closely behind her.

"I'm sorry, but did you say that I was going to get-"

"Stripped and searched? Yes, it's called a strip search, but don't worry, our lady colleague will be doing that."

Em swallowed heavily, "oh fuck." What did I get myself into?

"What was that?"

Em snapped her head up, realizing that they had stopped in front of a room.

"Nothing, it was nothing."

"Alright, well here we are, Officer Stone will be escorting you from here."

"Okay, thanks?" Em squeezed past the big man and into the small room where, indeed, a female guard was waiting. She was older, maybe in her late 30s and she looked angry.

"You Emily Fields?" The woman stood, revealing her 5'7 frame, short blonde hair pulled in a bun, and the permanent look of annoyance on her face. Em wondered if she knew how to smile.

"Y-yes. Yes I am."

"Alright Miss Fields, here's what's gonna happen."

x-x-x-x-x

"Alright, the easiest part was over, you want something to cry about, here it is."

Officer Stone stood back and allowed Em to take in the sights...here she was, Emily Fields, her parents goody two shoes daughter, standing in the sleeping quarters of section 3.

Officer Stone kept walking so Em followed.

"Some basic things you need to know: there is a curfew and wake up time, everyday. Everyone is up and ready to go by 8, that's when breakfast is served, if you're late you don't eat, got it?"

"Y-yeah, got it."

"Alright good, lights out by 10 every night, no later, you're allowed to pee but only if a guard is present to see you go, if you're caught out later than curfew, well, you get punished."

Em was walking all through the cell blocks now, just passing the D block.

"What's the punishment?"  
Officer Stone stopped in her tracks, "why, you already planning on breaking the rules?"

Em shook her head rapidly, "no, no, I just-"

"Good, then you don't need to know, also don't interrupt me again."

Em snapped her mouth shut and nodded.

"Another thing, showers are taken in the morning, or during your free time used for activities, but there's hardly any of that here, so make sure you get that taken care in the morning before breakfast. Everything here runs on a tight ship, we keep to the schedule, so keep up or get punished, got it?"

"Yes." It didn't seem too bad.

"There's been talk of drugs circling, I don't how, but someone always finds a way to smuggle shit in and out, so if you see anything you let one of us know, if you're caught with something illegal, you will-"

"-get punished?" Em said a little too loud and a little too sarcastic.  
Stone paused and Emily stood still, afraid she would find out what one of those punishments are. Instead Stone briefly laughed and continued.

They had just past block G.

"Next thing, you'll be assigned a job later today with the counselor based on if you have any skills that a job here requires. You're to work every day 9-2, there's a little free time for activities and then there's the rest of the day to do as you choose. Most people go back to their cells and do whatever it is that they do."

Emily continued to nod, "And where is everyone now?"

"At work."

"And what kind of jobs do they have available?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Em nodded, this lady was not welcoming at all, but- snap yourself out of it Em, this isn't a place for nice people. They are all real criminals.

"Did you hear me?"

"What?"

Officer Stone rolled her eyes, "I said here is your room, you're in cell block 7 I...shared with one Lauren Rojas."

Em nodded, peeping into her new "room."

"Okay," Em was nervous to be sleeping next to an arrested stranger for possibly 3 whole months, "and what did she do?"

Suddenly Officer Stone slammed her palm down on the wall next to Em so that her bicep was in front of Em's face, preventing her from walking in, "Fields! That is a question you do not ask around here, do you understand?"

Em had no idea why it was such a big deal, "but-"

"It's for your own safety, you might not want to know what some women are in for and for others it's gonna surprise you why they're in here in the first place, and that leads to you either being afraid and paranoid, or getting too nice, which leads to two more rules: no fighting, and no sexual relations."

Em swallowed and choked back a laugh, how could anyone engage in sexual relations if they were all so closely watched.

"Uh o-okay. I'm sure that won't be a problem."

"Maybe not right now, but things-relationships, if you will tend to happen." Things happen? What the hell?

"Alright, some of your things were brought already, they're on that desk, you've got 10 minutes to sort through them and then you can come with me to meet with Officer Grey, she's the counselor here and help assign you a job here."

Em nodded and when Stone moved, she walked into the small cell block and sat on the bed, more of a cot than anything else, she ran the palm of her hand over the blanket: it was rough, and thin and it was nothing like the blanket she back home...but for the next 3- maybe 4- months, she had to pretend it was good enough.

Em laid back and took in a deep breath, staring at the dull grey ceiling before remembering she had a box of 'her things' brought for her.

She stood and walked over to her box reaching in and pulling out the first item she saw. It was a journal, leather bound with an ink pen attached to the side.

There was a sticky note on the back: _for anything you forget to tell me when I see or call you - love Han_

Em smiled and put the journal on her desk, she wasn't much of a writer, but she thought it would be a good time to start...the last she wrote in a journal was high school.  
Reaching into the box, Em soon realized everything was from Hanna, a sticky note on most of the things, with funny sayings and Em could imagine Hanna's voice perfectly.

There were magazines: _In case you need something when you shit, lol -Han_

The bathroom toiletries: _Don't forget to get behind the ears! Love, mother dearest_

Some older books that Em had read a long time ago: _Because, well, you're still a nerd._

And lastly there were a few pictures of them, from high school, college, and the one they took in front of the store before they bought it: _in case you forget what my beautiful face looks like, or need someone to fantasize about...jk -Love Han_

Emily laughed and used some rolled up tape already on the back of the pictures to gently push them against the wall, low and near her bed, where her head would lie before she slept.

Just as Em was tempted to open the journal, Officer Stone came and stopped near the entryway of her open sleeping quarters, there were no doors, and no ceiling and the walls were low, if you stood, you could look around and see all the other blocks, "Fields, time to go!"

Em stood up, rushing to put everything back in its box and under her bed. Stone waited and when Em stood up straight she started walking, "my break starts soon, so Reyes here will escort you to Grey's office.

"Reyes!"

"Fields," Reyes came into view and Em bit her cheek to hide a smile.

"Joshu-" Em stopped when Reyes' eyes widened, "I mean, Officer Reyes," Em said, changing the tone of her voice, "how nice to see you again."

Stone eyed them, and raised a brow, "what is this? You two know each other? You know this," she said waving her finger between them, "can't happen, you'll both be in trouble."

Reyes choked back a cough and stood straighter, "trust me, they'll be no problem, I know Fields because I was in the department when they held her overnight, nothing more."

"Plus I'm gay." Em whispered, smiling because she thought it was funny.

"What?"

Em snapped up and looked at Stone.

"Nothing, nothing, I-"

Joshua stepped in, "she said no way."

Stone still looked between them and looked at Reyes in the eye, "good because you know what happens when officers take things too far," Stone said coldly, walking out the room.

When Reyes was sure that she was out of earshot, he turned to Emily, "are you out of your mind!"

Em shrugged, "sorry, it just slipped, and I-she was so rude-"

"Emily, don't say that around here okay, it could get you into trouble."

Reyes had placed his hands on her shoulders and was looking in her eyes sincerely; the concern was short lived once he saw the shock and confusion on her face.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, it's just, I'm sure you've heard the stories, and they're not true okay, we don't let any of that happen on our watch, I promise, it's just, well, some may come on to you, and strongly, and if they know-"

"That I'm gay?"

Josh nodded, "yes, they might take that as an invitation, not to mention that you're totally beautiful."

"Reyes," Em warned, flushing slightly.

"What? I'm just stating the facts, plus since you'll never like me like that, it's okay to compliment you. When you get out, I'll be like your personal complimenting slave of something."

Em shook her head, "how many rules are you breaking?"

"None, no one is here to punish me."

"I am."

Reyes laughed, "woah there Em, you know how that sounds to me right?"

Emily choked at her own brazen choice of words, "okay, okay, I walked into that one. Just take me to get assigned a job please?"

Reyes nodded and puffed out his chest and in a faux deep voice, "alright Fields, this way."

Em shook her head but followed suit and to Grey's office.

"Alright Fields, I'll wait outside until you're finished, then I'll take you to where you need to be, I trust Stone gave you the run through tour?"

Emily nodded and Reyes continued, "you'll work with your crew and then there's lunch, you have a free period and then whatever else you're schedule permits. You got this?"

For the first time, Emily was feeling unsure, "I-I-"

"Yes, you do, this is your life for the next four - well most likely three - months, so say you do, because it'll be over soon."

Em bit her lip then released it, "okay, I got this."

Reyes nodded, and jutted his chin towards the door, "go get 'em Em. Haha see what I did there."

Emily shook her head disapprovingly and knocked on the door, "Come in," was heard and Em pushed the door open.

"Hello, I'm-"

"Emily Fields, brought in on charges of theft from a jeweler's and sentenced to four months in this hell hole," the voice came from a chair facing away from Emily, "three, with good behavior, am I correct?" The woman turned around in her swivel chair, revealing to Emily the greyest eyes she's ever seen on an equally stunning face.

"Yeah, yes, yes m'am Officer-"

"It's Garibaldi, but for the last 5 years, it's been changed to Officer Grey, and I'm sure you can see why."

Em nodded, still standing awkwardly by the door, "yeah, um-"

Officer G cut her off again, "yes, your job assignment, well take a seat and we'll find something for you."

Em walked over to the worn in upholstered chair and lowered her body into the seat.

"So," the counselor began, "you can call me Grey, that's what all the inmates refer to me as, no one really says Officer Garibaldi."  
Em simply nodded, placing her hands in her lap.

"So Fields, what is it that you do?"

Em was confused, "I'm sorry?"

"Uh, what job did you have before getting yourself landed here?"

Em nodded, "oh, I co-own and run a coffee shop/ bakery with my best friend."

"You cook?"

Em remembered the last time she tried to make her mother's empanadas, "no."

"Okay, well either way you'll end up doing something new to you but I should start you off with something simple, it doesn't seem like you'll be here long so I don't want to give you something too big. Job assignments don't usually change so let's see what we got."

Officer Grey flipped through a manila folder, shaking her head at some papers and setting aside others.

"Alright," after a few minutes, the stack was considerably smaller, "I've got three relatively simple and easy jobs for you and I'm feeling nice today so you can pick. I've got gardening, mostly the older women are out there so I don't know how fun that'll be sitting in dirt with about 10 women?"

Em shook her head.

"Alright, tossing that," Grey returned it to the original stack, "alright now we have the wash room, you'll be helping Snuggles and Candy over there, they basically run what goes on down there."

"Snuggles? Candy?" Em questioned nervously.

"Uh yeah, Snuggles, is nice, a little too nice with her lady friends though, hence the name, plus she washes the clothes so the name fits. But she's been sent to solitary for that kind of behavior and she hasn't acted up for a year. And Candy, well she's this little Russian that helped knock off a chain of Candy stores in her youth with her sisters and two cousins, she got busted and brought in finally for a bigger job a few years back."

Em nervously bit her lip, somewhat fearing for her safety in this new place she'd be living in for a while.

"Listen Fields, these three jobs are the least dangerous, and no one in here will be able to hurt you, we have some of the best guards around, and everyone has been locked up in here long enough to know not to break the rules, just pick a job, keep a low profile and you'll be out of here soon."

Em shook her head, finding it easy to believe the woman in front of her. "okay, well what's the last one?"

Grey shifted in her seat and stretched her neck, "alright, last one: library. Now let me just tell you that-"

"I'll take it." Em wasted no time in nodded her head and agreeing to working in the library, she imagined it would be the most peaceful.

Grey shrugged and handed the paper over, "there's only one other inmate in the library, it's not a job that requires much labor so you'll be stuck with Barbie."

"She sounds fine, I want to work in the library, please."

Em stood and waited for Grey to dismiss her, "alright Fields, we'll see, Reyes will take you to get situated in the library and then the rest of the day is yours."

Emily nodded and thanked her counselor before walking out, not hearing Grey wish her a silent 'good luck.'

"So Emi-Fields, what'd you pick?"

"How'd you know I picked and didn't just get assigned?"

Reyes smirked, "Mmm maybe because I think Grey eyes over there has a weakness for hot inmates like you."

"Ew, stop. You're lying."

Reyes shrugged, "I dunno Fields, last time she let anyone pick was when Barbie Doll got here a few months ago."

"Barbie Doll, hmm, Officer Grey just said that name to me. I think whoever that is, I'll be with her in-"

"Your sleeping quarters?"

"What? No, I was going to say in the library."

"Oh even better, one on one with her."

"What's so bad about this girl, what'd she do?"

Reyes looked around, "It's just how abrasive she's been. She doesn't talk to anyone and the way her eyes cut into yours when she looks at you," Reyes shivered and shook his head. You'll meet her soon enough, plus she sleeps in the block across from you so you'll be seeing her around a lot."

Em shrugged, nothing he said seemed bad, "so why do they call her Barbie, unless that's her real name, but then I thought we go by last names-"

"God, you ask a lot of questions, try not to be so perky when you work with her, she didn't take kindly to the last inmate she was working with."

Em swallowed and nodded, not even sure what that could mean.

"And people around here started calling her Barbie because she's got these crazy blue eyes and well she's blonde, she's also got these perfect teeth and I guess she's got a nice body."

"God you all sound like such pigs."  
Reyes scoffed before he added, "to be honest you should-"

"Don't start, we talked about this already."

"What? Okay fine." Reyes laughed and stopped once they reached the right building, "alright this is it, the library."

"The library," Em repeated out loud, "she's in there then?"

"Yup."

"And now I've got no other choice but to spend every day for 3 to 4 months with this girl right? The one everyone is so afraid of?"

"Yup, and it's not that we're all afraid, it's just she's kept to herself for so long, no one has heard her speak and no one has even seen a change in her facial expression-" but Reyes stopped once he seen the look on Em's face, "you'll be fine Emily, nothing bad will happen, and if it does-"

"You'll be the first to know." Em smiled and took a deep breath.

"Good luck, see ya around...inmate."

Em laughed nervously and watched as Reyes walked away. She looked down at the handle and walked in, less confident in this job than she was a few minutes ago.

At the back of the library, arms crossed, was a short man with blond hair, he had a round belly and round face, and looked bored out of his mind.

"Hi, I'm Emi-Fields...and-"

"Yeah, I was filled in a few minutes ago. I'm Johnson, your work buddy DiLaurentis is out filing some 'new' books in the back. You two can figure out what you wanna do. I'll be here," he huffed and added quietly, "...as always."

"Uh-um, okay thanks." Emily wasn't sure what else there was to say to the man. She found herself fixing her new orange shirt before waking through the racks to the back, where the soft sound of books sliding onto shelves was heard.

Em peered through the empty racks and her eyes landed on the back of someone's head. This someone was a few inches shorter than Em and had long blonde hair down her back.

Curious to see this DiLaurentis that so many people seemed hesitant about, Em walked around to stand a few feet from the girl and cleared her throat.

"Eh hem, uh hi, I'm Em- I'm Fields and uh we're gonna be together."

_Shit. Why am I nervous?_

"I mean _working_, we'll be working in here together, I'm new and-"

The blonde turned around and Emily finally seen the piercing blue eyes that her imagination did no justice to.

Em stopped mid-sentence and just stared until the girl turned around and abruptly shoved a box into Em's arms, a box full of books.

Emily tore her gaze away and cleared her throat again, "yeah, right, we're here to sort these, got it."

_Stupid, Em, what the hell is wrong with you?_

Emily turned around and looked up at the faintly labeled shelves and took to sorting the books in the box alphabetically by the author's last name.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been standing there stacking but the silence was killing her and she couldn't stand to hear only the sliding of old books across dusty shelves any longer.

"So do you read any of these? Like do you have your own collection of favorites? I'm not much of a reader but I do pick up a good book on my down time, you know like when I'm not too busy with anything I just curl up next to this window seat I have and I-"

Emily stopped when she noticed the girl she was addressing was still putting the books on the shelves, having been unfazed by anything Em was saying.

Emily sighed and tried another approach, "you know I get it, if you don't want to say anything to me, I'm new here and this is your space, I'm sure you liked the quiet but I was just thinking 'hey we're both here and this is gonna be our job for awhile so why not just talk and maybe'," but Em was quickly cut off.

"What makes you think that you can talk to me?" The blonde spat.

To her surprise however, Emily answered just as fast, "maybe because you seem so approachable."

With that Em scoffed and walked away, but not before she stopped at the sound of laughter.

She turned around to see the blonde laughing softly and Em decided now that she loved the sound.

"You're laughing?" Em walked towards the girl slowly, watching intently as the light in the blue eyes sparkled from the sudden outburst.

"Yeah, that was pretty funny, no one's ever decided to say anything back to me before."

Em's cheeks reddened for a reason she wasn't sure of and she found herself lightly laughing back.

"Well I didn't see a reason not too so..." Em looked away at the stacks of books she had sorted and waited.

"What's your name?"

"Fields."

"Your real name?" The not so intimidating girl asked again.

"Emily, it's Emily Fields."

The blonde smiled, thinking and quickly deciding she liked the tan beauty named Emily.

Em looked at the girl expectantly, "and you're..."

The young woman with the blue eyes smiled and held her hand out for Em to take.

"DiLaurentis, Alison DiLaurentis."

Em gulped, "nice to meet you Alison."

"Nice to meet you, Emily."

**AN: so? Thoughts? I apologize AGAIN for the late and untimely updates, my laptop officially had a virus and I have not been able to go on it in weeks, and it's difficult to write these chapters from my phone but I'm doing it, and I hope you liked this chapter.**

**Please vote and comment!**

**Lina**


	7. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6 : Fresh Meat_

"So, it's Fields right?"

Emily nodded her head, somewhat reluctantly while settling into her bed she could only compare to a cot. She lifted her eyes to meet the eyes of her roommate, a young Hispanic girl with green eyes and dark brown hair.

"And you're Rojas? Right?"

Her roommate nodded and lifted her chin, "yeah, but don't get too attached, I'm leaving this week."

Em stiffened, although she had barely known this girl for a mere hours, she had grown used to her presence and was surprised at the girl's attitude towards her, Em wasn't too excited to to have to adjust to someone knew, especially if she didn't know who that new someone would be.

"Hey, ease up Fields, what's eatin at you?"

"Uh, nothing."

"I don't even know you and I can tell you're lying, what is it? I mean unless you want to talk to Grey about it, if not, I ain't gonna tell, so what's the harm?" Rojas shrugged and Em nodded softly.

"Uh, I was just wondering, how it works?"

"Um, you're being really vague there, how what works?"

"You, leaving."

"You're gonna miss me already? Aw how sweet, but I'm not leaving by choice, I'm getting transferred."

"Oh," Emily sounded defeated but realized was it possible for her to get transferred too? Somewhere away from Rosewood? Her parents had yet to find out she was in jail, and for something she knew they would know was Hanna's fault, but the impending fear that her parents would call sooner or later was dawning on her and she groaned in frustration.

She heard a silent chuckle come from across her new living space and tilted her head.

"Nothing, "Rojas replied as if reading her mind, "it's just, I've been in here for a few months already and you're the first person I've seen who actually rolled her eyes and sighed, you looked totally like a teenager."

Emily sat back up and leaned against the cool wall, "yeah well, I was just thinking of the conversation I'm going to have to have sooner or later when my parents find out I'm here."

"Wait, your folks don't even know you're here, what, do they live under a rock?"

"Right now, no? But they are overseas by now, my dad is taking my mom to travel finally, it's been their dream."

The other girl nodded and seemed to be sizing Emily up, "so let me guess, you're the only child, you had...well seems like you have strict-ish parents, your dad, mom or both obviously had a good career to take time off to travel, and… you're single?"

Em dropped her jaw slightly and instead of protesting, she accepted the facts and laughed, shaking her head, "correct on basically all accounts," then she explained, "I'm the only child to a military dad and a very strict mom who worked in the police force for a while, yet she always had the ideal daughter imagined in her head that she always projected onto me," Em sighed and puffed her chest in exaggeration, "the perfect lady, like she was. Should have seen how she reacted to me being a lesbian, oh no, that wasn't right, it was a phase I'd grow out of, years later and she's glad I'm single, maybe the right guy for us will come along." Em laughed to lighten the mood she suddenly darkened.

"It's okay, don't get me wrong, she's come to accept me I guess, but I know deep down she wishes I was more traditional and fulfilled the perfect daughter duties."

"Damn, Fields, I'm gay too but my parents were a little more laid back when I "came out," she laughed at a memory flooding her mind, "come to think of it, I'm pretty sure they suspected it all along, I fell in love with my best friend, it would've been crazier if both our families didn't know."

"Aw that's cute, and you're still together?"

"Damn straight as long as she isn't hooking up with people out there."

Em shook her head, "why would she, she's got you right?"

"Hey I don't like the sarcasm, if I wasn't wearing this god awful orange in this frumpy suit, you'd see just how hot I am, then my girl would be in here just to kick your ass."

"Charming."

Em's roommate laughed, "you remind of a friend of mine, her name was Annabelle."

Nodding, Em added, "and you remind me of my best friend Hanna. Sucks you have to go so soon, I was looking forward to having someone to tease."

"You mean someone to tease you?"

"Yup, I can hear Hanna's voice now."

As silence fell between them, Emily's short-lived new friend squinted her eyes at her again, "Fields?"

"Hm?"

"What did you do to get your Ms. Goody Two Shoes ass in here anyways?"

Em froze up, she didn't know whether or not to tell Lauren Rojas, a complete stranger, why they were sitting 10 feet apart from each other, but she did anyways, what was the harm?

"I stole something."

"Hm, then why did you say it like it was a question?"

Emily's eyes widened and she had to come up with something, and fast, "I just, I haven't said it outloud to anyone really."

"Uh huh, so it was also your first time stealing?"

"You can say that."

"Hmm, that's funny."

"What is?"

"Nothing, I didn't peg you as the sticky finger type."

"Type? Oh, then what type did you peg me as?"

"I don't know, what with what you said about your family, I was thinking like some protester or activist, getting arrested for something your mom probably doesn't believe in, but it seems I was wrong. So what'd you knock off anyways? A bank?"

Em shook her head, "knock off? I didn't kill anyone, Hanna just needed the necklace."

"What was that?"

_Shit. _"What was what? I said…I just wanted the necklace."

"No, it sounded like you said, wait what was your best friend's name?"

"Hanna?"

"Oh shit, I get it now, you stole the necklace for your friend, I bet she's kind of superficial and you wanted to give her something worthy, because….no way, because you love her!"

"What, of course I love her, she's my-"

"No, because you're in love with her, aren't you?! Holy shit, I'm right aren't I? I have to be!"

Em shook her head somewhat violently, holding her hands out in front of her to stop the babbling brunette, "No no no, you couldn't be further from the truth, Hanna and I are just friends, and I am not in love with her, ew, she's like a sister, plus she's happily married, to her husband, who is also my friend."

"Rojas sensed the sincerity and sighed, "damn, I'm usually on the nose with these things."

"Ususally."

"Haha. Funny. So you stole a necklace, you robbed a jeweler's, my girlfriend tells me this town is small so it was probably at a mall, aaaand it was your first anything to go on your record, so you're probably in here for a few months? Am I right?"

"Ew god, now your tone sounds like my lawyer."

"Hah good all the hours watching crime tv shows has paid off."

"Maybe, but you probably should've watched How to Get Away With Murder a little more closely, then you wouldn't be in here?"

"Murder? You think I murdered someone? Wait, do I give off that vibe?"

Em nearly choked, "haha oh god no, not after a few minutes talking to you."

"Good, that's' why I've never been caught," she tried an ominous tone and failed.

"Nope, didn't buy it."

"Yeah, I'm a crap actress."

"Uh huh."

"Hey, so why'd you steal a necklace anyway?"

Em sighed, "it's…its really complicated," she had hoped the matter would be dropped, but here it was, sitting in her lap, weighing her down.

"It's okay, I think I get it. I don't know if you tried to take it for you or someone else, I'm in here for my girlfriend, it just goes to show that some of us do crazy things for love. Love is scary that way you know? And that saying that love is blind, well, it's kind of true, accept that love can be blind, and also things can be mistaken for love and that may lead some of us astray, crazy shit happens all the time, but you'll be fine Fields, I can tell."

Emily sighed and this time really lied down in her 'bed.'

"Thanks, I think I needed to hear that."

"Uh huh, no problem, besides you survived your first day without a scratch, that's a plus."

"Yeah, thanks, I feel really lucky."

"Good."

"Well, see ya in the morning."

"Yeah, you'll see me before I ditch this place and get sent somewhere closer to home."

Em closed her eyes, she hoped that if she was paired with another inmate by the end of tomorrow, whoever it was wouldn't be bad."

"Oh and Fields?"

"Yeah?" Em's voice was heavy with sleep.

"Just so you know I didn't kill for my girl though, I did however, do some breaking and entering, vandalizing property and totaling a few cars. But it's okay, I forgive myself."

"Why's that?"

"It was in the name of love."

Em laughed at her 'temporary Hanna' and fell asleep.

x-x-x-x

There was a buzz about the cell blocks the next morning, everyone seemed to notice that another inmate was "getting out" and more and more women started to crowd Emily's block and peer over the little ledge into the now vacant living space.

"Ladies, back off, Rojas has taken everything she needed and let her bunkmate keep everything else."

Emily turned around and faced her leaving roomie, "you did what?"

"What? I can't take anything with me that's not real personal, so you can have my clothes, pillow and I left some snacks and books in the cupboard thing, all yours."

Em stood, her mouth a little agape and brought Rojas close to her, "I wanted to keep a low profile and you give me your things that all these women are looking at ripping from my if I hold them too close."

"Relax Fields, you'll be fine, these women are just looking for anything they can have for themselves, even for dumb reasons, nothing is gonna happen." She turned around and shooed everyone else from her bunk, "I'm not gone yet, give me some space, I can still breathe this air without you all trying to steal that too, go on, nothing is here that you can have anyways, unless you like books, I can only give you my old toothbrush."

The buzz started to die and Emily felt herself relaxing.

"God, what's the big deal anyways, I mean you're not leaving me anything that valuable to anyone right?"

"Hey, I had those books in there for a long time, take care of them okay? Aaand it's good to have an extra pillow and clothes, so if they take longer to wash you have back up."

"I guess you're right."

"Wow, I don't hear that too often."

Emily laughed and a few hours later, she thought things would be fine. Maybe she'd get assigned a new bunkmate who was just as relaxed ad somewhat nice. But what happened next, Em never saw coming.

At breakfast, Em walked through the cafeteria and got glares from everyone, women cut her in line and purposefully brushed past her a little too hard, making her shoulders more and more sensitive with each 'accident.'

It was Rojas leaving, and Rojas leaving some of her things that had put an invisible target on her back. Em sat alone at the edge of a table and was sneered and scoffed at, accompanied with the grunts of "fresh meat" thrown her way. Em, who had gone unnoticed the first day, had managed to be acknowledged by everyone in the next 24 hours, well almost everyone. Em searched for the one other face she would be able to recognize from her day before in the library. Em searched desperately to find those blue eyes belonging to Alison…but to no avail.

Deciding that she was no longer hungry, Em got up as quickly as she could and returned to her bunk to shower before going to her "job." It was quiet and desolate except for one female guard in the room overlooking the whole sleeping quarters in the area. Em looked at the cell block that she knew Ali stayed at, but stayed away from it and into the showers.

It was her first shower in this new 'home' of hers and even though there were curtains and walls for each stall, Em couldn't help but feel like she was being watched, like she was too exposed to shower with a clear head. A slight feeling of fear started to tremor from her and those fears were confirmed when she heard snickering from a fear voices behind her.

"Oh, look, it's the fresh meat that thinks she better than everyone just because that bitch Rojas gave her her shit."

Another voice added, "…just because Rojas thought she ran this place, doesn't mean we have to respect this Fresh Meat…she's gone now."

Em swallowed and tried to ignore the girls and finish getting the cheap shampoo washed from her hair.

"Oh, what, you can't say hi Fresh Meat? You're too good? Hmm, figures, you think because you're hot that you're better than everyone else?"

Em shook her head, "n-n-no, I just, I d-don't think that, I'm just trying in peace."

"In peace? Or so you're not in peace, we're bugging her, do you hear that ladies?"

"Damn, I was hoping Fresh Meat and I could get a little more closely acquainted, I think I have some things she can help me with."

"Oh yeah, she'd be good at that, maybe she can help us all?"

"Yeah, Fresh Meat, do you do group discounts, I know Rojas was gay, did you give her a going away present before she left? Maybe she made you do it. Did she?"

Em couldn't see anyone behind her, nor did she want to, but she could hear at least 2 more voices confirm what the first had said and Emily's blood started to run cold. There should've been a guard nearby that would surely hear if she screamed for-

"Get her."

_What?_ Emily grabbed her towel just in time to cover herself before the curtain was ripped open and 4 women stood in front of her, sneering and sizing her up. Emily felt the adrenaline start to catalyze in her veins, fight or flight Emily, fight or…

"HELP!"

"Shut her up!"

One woman, a taller copper skinned one, lunged forward and wrapped her hand around Emily's mouth and held her close to her body, another arm snaking around her torso to hold her in place.

Emily tried to kick and scream, biting down on the hand and drawing blood, managing a muffled groan that was only quieted when a fist belonging to the short red head, the seeming leader, made contact with the side of Em's stomach, knocking the wind clear from her lungs.

Emily tried throwing elbows behind her into the person who's arm were a vice around her and coughed hard when another blow met her other side. Emily kicked her feet out to keep her attackers at bay but all that managed to happen was a hand wrapping around her towel and being torn from her body.

"Lookey here, Fresh Meat works out..nice, who wants to go first?"

Emily's eyes burned with tears and she tried to brace herself for another blow to the midsection as one woman stepped forward or for whatever these women had in mind to do with her, when a blur of blonde caught her eye and the red head was sent flying, pushed into the wall and held inches above the floor by the collar of her jumpsuit.

The grip on Em's body loosened and she heard a voice growl at the red head, "leave her the fuck alone or you can be the first to find out if all those rumors are true."

Feet hit the ground and the women fled, the one behind Em tripping her and sending her to slip on the wet shower floor, her head coming into contact with the shower knob. And the last thing Em seen was a hand reaching for her, and voice somewhere in the distance calling her name.

That was right before Alison grabbed the towel and caught Emily before her head crashed into the tile below her…

_****Hey, omg hi lovelies, I missed you all! Family shit and college shit…just a lot of shit lol, but I did NOT forget about my stories, I'm back for now and **__**regular **__**updates will be the Saturday of every week starting today! (also when I feel like it, I'll update more than once a week on any day that happens to be the day I write)**_

_**Please let me know how you all feel about this chapter/story…I'm craving your reviews/comments!**_

_**Love, Lina**_


	8. Chapter 7

_Ch. 7 - New Roommate_

Hours later after the incident happened and Emily was finally regaining consciousness. She sat up, finding herself alone in a small hospital room. The light blinded her and the edges of her vision were smoothed out and blurred, like a vignette was around the frame of everything she saw. Slowly she sat up. Her body swayed from side to side before she put her arm down to steady herself, discovering that she was also hand cuffed to the side railing of the bed. Her eyes traveled further up her wrist to her arm where her sleeve was rolled up and an IV was in her vein. Her sleeve was a god awful orange and the material was stiff. She shook her head and stopped when she found that to be surprisingly painful to do.

That's when most of what had happened resurfaced and she lifted her free, uncuffed hand to her forehead, wincing when she put pressure on the bandage adorning her head. The last thing she could actually remember was wanting to take a shower before her first official day began at the Rosewood County Jail. Then, there were other women in there with her. But what happened?

Emily struggled to remember everything but her train of thought fled when she heard an all too familiar voice.

"What do you mean I can't see her, you assholes called me. I demand you let me in!"

"Hanna?" Emily croaked and tried her best to peer through the partly open curtains in the window. Seeing only flashes of blonde hair…blonde hair, just like the blonde hair she had seen right before-

"Emily, oh my god, you're alive." Hanna barged through the door and after flinging her bag on a chair nearby she embraced Emily in her arms carefully.

"Hanna?"

The blonde friend pulled away and placed her hands delicately on Em's shoulders, her eyes roaming Em's face, "geez, those bitches really did a number on you, didn't they? I swear to god, I should commit a crime just to go in there with you and beat their asses."

Emily smiled, "you kinda already did that first thing."

Hanna dropped her jaw in shock and quickly smiled, hugging Em again, "god prison already changed you; you're not a wimp anymore."

"Hey, I was never a wimp."

"I know but it was still fun to say."

"Whatever, Hanna what the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, I got a call 4 hours ago, I'm your emergency contact and I guess your records the jail has didn't have any record of you being allergic to any types of medication, so they called me and briefly told me what happened. They told me you were fine and slipped in the shower and hit your head. I know you can be a little accident prone but naturally, I had to come see you myself."

"Thanks Han, but how'd you get in."

"Oh," Hanna smiled, "you're little friend Reyes, he's outside, he was the one who drove you here."

"Here?"

"Yeah dork, they had to take you to an actual hospital. Whatever they needed to patch you up apparently wasn't at the Four Seasons with you, so they took you here, you're in the Rosewood General Hospital."

Emily sat back into the bed, her cuff making noise as she did.

"Ugh, they have me chained here like an animal."

Hanna shook her head, "these fuckers, I swear, I'm so sorry Em."

"For what?"

Hanna tilted her head, "you know exactly what for."

"Han-" Em started.

"No Em, I'm serious, I don't know if I can let you do this."

Emily awkwardly reached her free hand, her left hand, across her body and over to where Hanna sat on the edge of her bed, to grab her hand, "Hey, it's okay, and I'm already doing it, no take backs."

Hanna didn't budge at Emily's joke attempt, "this isn't secret santa at the restaurant, Em."

"Well I know that, Santa's jumpsuit is red, not orange."

This, made Hanna laugh softly, "ugh, Em, I'm serious though, you don't deserve this, something worse could've happened."

Emily's smiled faded slowly in the realization that she was in fact saved from what could've turned into a life-haunting memory. She swallowed and came to also realize that she had no idea about the whereabouts of her savior.

"It's okay Hanna, stop thinking that."

Hanna nodded and grabbed her hand and a sudden smile crept on her face, "so I also heard that you have a friend in there, huh?"

Emily's head snapped up, much to her dismay, and she looked…was she blushing. Did Hanna know? Wait, but Em wasn't even sure it was her.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Your boy Reyes gave me a few more details on the 'report' of the other guard who was supposed to be on duty when all this," she waved her finger in front of Emily's head, "happened. So, tell me about her. She obviously had to like you if she stuck her neck out the line and came in to save you."

"Actually-" Emily stared a little confused, into Hanna's eyes.

"What? You're telling me you don't remember?"

"No! I do, I remember the blonde hair and I know it had to be her."

"Well then?"

"Hanna did any of the officers say where she was? Did they say her name? I mean she wasn't the only blonde in there, so who knows, it could've been anyone? Who am I kidding, is she okay? Or did they tell you what happened?"

Hanna moved to face Em, grabbing a chair from behind her and lowering herself into it, "no, Em, I thought you knew all that, all that I heard was that you were in the showers when a group of other inmates came in and attacked you. They said an inmate was nearby and heard something and then, well she saved you. But she left before anyone really could see her."

"Then how do they know someone helped me?"

"The other women who attacked you fled and when the guard who found you, well found you, you were knocked out but they way you were rested and covered up, they knew you weren't just knocked out nor did you manage to fight them off."

"Oh."

"Yeah, but you do know who it is right?" There was a suggestive tone and smile in the way Hanna said that and Emily wanted to shake her head to mask a blush that was forming.

"Yeah, I mean I guess I do, she the only one I can think of?"

"Awwww."

"Han stop, not like that, geez you perv." Emily rolled her eyes.

Hanna scoffed, "whatever, what's her name?"

"Really, we're gonna do this here?"

"Well, I don't know where else we can! Besides the doc is coming in soon to grant you clearance to go back, I read your report already; you have a minor concussion and needed three little stitches…so I'd say I have like 10 minutes before we have to cut our girl time short.

"Fine…her name is Alison."

"Okay…," Hanna waited for more.

"Okay."

"Em! C'mon you loser, what is she like?"

"Hanna, would you stop, I barely met the girl 24 hours ago, and stop giving me those eyes, I'm not looking for love behind bars."

Hanna shrugged, "sometimes love just finds us."

"Ew, what did you do while I've been gone, read a Nicolas Sparks book?"

"Ooo ooo how about this, love-"

"Stop. It. You're making me sick."

Hanna held her stomach and laughed, "okay fine, at least tell me what she looks like."

"Ugh, only if you shut up after this, I seriously have a headache."

"Deal, grumpypants."

"Okay ugh, she's like a few inches shorter than me, she has long blonde hair, blue eyes…"

"So she looks like me?" Hanna wiggled her eyebrows.

"Ugh, I hate to admit but yeah a little."

"Great, so I am your type."

"Hanna, I don't have a type."

"Sure you don't, go on."

"What is there to go on about? That's all I know."

"Well how'd you meet her?"

"In prison." Emily replied flat and dry.

"Haha you sarcastic ass."

"Han, you're driving me nuts, we met at the library okay, I work there and so does she."

"Aw that's cute, you guys can 'get to know each other more' in between the privacy of the bookshelves."

"Alright, this conversation is officially over."

"God, I miss you out here Em."

Emily opened her mouth but focused her eyes more closely on her best friend; she noticed things she had ignored when Hanna first arrived; there were dark rings under her eyes, her hair she had cut a bit shorter, instead of high heels she was in sneakers and where Hanna usually had her makeup done up to the nine, she was now barefaced. Em knew her friend was still very beautiful, but something about her seemed –tired.

"Hanna," Emily started seriously.

"Yeah?"

"How are you holding up?"

"Emily," Hanna laughed, "look at where you're at and you're seriously asking me if I'm-"

"Not what I mean."

"Then wha- oh. Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh.'"

"I'm fine Em."

"But you're not, I know it and you know I can see it, so stop lying and tell me."

Hanna swallowed and took a deep breath before looking at her friend, "what is there to tell?"

"Have you talked to anyone about-"

"No, I can't Em, you know that."

"I know but c'mon Han, you know that there has to be a way."

"And if there is, I can't seem to find it."

Emily felt utterly helpless and she hated that they both had to face these things alone.

"Well, I have been talking to your lawyer or attorney lady whatever."

Em smiled, "Oh yeah? Spencer Hastings right? Well what about?"

"Well at first it was just your case and getting the finances in order, but after a while I realized after she takes her blazer off and sets down the briefcase, she's actually really cool, and she only two years older than us, so I don't know, it's just nice to have someone to talk to."

Emily wanted to say that didn't hurt. Hanna seen that.

"Oh god, Em, not like that, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do, it's okay Han, I'm glad, just tell that Spencer she still has to be approved by me when I get out, she was one kick ass lawyer but being a kick ass friend has its own special qualifications that need to be met."

"Sir, yes sir." Hanna saluted Em and Emily's eyes widened.

"Oh shit Hanna, have my parents called?"

"Yeah, your mom called the house phone and I told her you were out on a date."

"A date?! Great Hanna, now she'll ask even more questions! You couldn't have just said I was in the shower or out shopping?"

"Sorry, you know how hard it is to lie to your mom, it was the first thing that popped into my head!"

Em face palmed herself mentally and groaned, "it's okay, but what did she say about my phone? She had to have called my cell first."

"She did, and I told her you left it at the restaurant and it got stolen. Aha then she gave us a whole lecture about being responsible and-"

"Oh god Hanna, they're going to figure something out soon, and then I'm dead."

"They're not gonna find out anything."

"How do you know?"

"Well, the last time your mom called, she said she and your dad were going on a cruise and she just wanted to call and say she loved you and what not because she wouldn't have internet access let alone service for phone calls for about…6 weeks?"

"6 weeks, Han?! I'm going to be here for a few months! Oh god, I'm screwed."

"You're not Em, just relax, we'll figure something out when we have to."

"Alright fine," Emily sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

"So what have you heard about- uh," she was a little uncomfortable with changing the subject.

"Caleb?" Hanna smiled weakly.

"Yeah."

"Well nothing, the son of a bitch who has Caleb only says that they'll contact me when they need to, I get a picture every now and again showing me he's okay but I don't know Em. I don't know who would need this much money and from us, combined Caleb and I don't make that kind of money."

"Well how much do you trust this Spencer Hastings?"

"I don't know Em, we've only hung out casually like twice, but she seems like an honest person, and she's smarter than anyone we've ever met, I guess I trust her, but how do you mean?"

"Well she's a lawyer, she has to have some kind of resources to help you, I mean you should really get to know her and see if there's anything she can do to help, she probably knows a lot about law suits and cases that involve these things right?"

"Em, she's primarily a defense attorney, and how would I start that conversation? Like oh hey, I know we just met but um my husband was just kidnapped and now he's being held for ransom, know how I can find him and catch the son of a gun who took him and why? Yeah, Em, I doubt that'll work."

"Look, Hanna, all I'm saying is that she's the one person you have access to that can help with this."

"Em I don't know, I'm not supposed to tell anyone, if this person finds out, something bad can happen to Caleb."

"I know Hanna but with me in here I don't see where else you're supposed to go, and I know what this person said about if you contact the police, we're running out of options, it sounds desperate, but I think Hastings is the way to go."

"I can't Em, even if I do tell her, she'll tell me to go to the cops."

"How do you know that? Maybe there's some way to backtrack where the messages are sent and put a location on Caleb."

"I know that's what she'll tell me because ever since this all started, she's been seeing a cop."

"And? That might be a good thing, then you can talk to the cops in private without this psychopath knowing."

"Em the cop she's seeing is Toby Cavanaugh."

Why did that name sound so familiar to Emily?

"You mean-"

"Yeah, the cop that arrested us, or you, whatever."

"Shit."

"Yeah, shit."

"Han, I don't know how you're keeping it all together, but we're going to get Caleb back."

Hanna shook her head and tried hard not to let the tears spill over, "it's worth a shot, I'll wait a few awhile though to open up to Spencer."

Emily reached over again and held out her hand for Hanna to take.

Their moment was cut short when Reyes opened the door, "the doc is coming back, and I'm sorry Mrs. Rivers but I think you should go before he gets here." Hanna nodded her head and turned back to face Emily, "Em-"

"Shh, it's okay, everything is going to be fine, I promise."

"I love you Em."

"Shh, stop it, you're my sister, in every sense of the word, minus the biological part of course. We're gonna be okay Han, I have a good feeling about asking Spencer for help, as for the Officer Cavanaugh part, let me know how that goes."

"Ugh, I miss you already."

"Text me via letter."

"You're such a dumbass, are you sure I'm the blonde one?"

Em laughed as Hanna hugged her and left, thinking to herself, not that blonde.

x-x-x-x

Emily returned and was checked in to the jail within the next hour. It was around the free time period that most of the women were heading back to their bunks. Emily was escorted back into the same block as her bunk but instead of going straight ahead, she took a right turn and was led all the way to block D13.

"Um, we're going the wrong way," Emily pointed behind where she should've been headed but the guard in front of her wasn't looking.

"Uh, you are Emily Fields right? Inmate number M2796L13, in for attempted robbery, sentence is 3-4 months, I read your file okay, this isn't my first day. You've been moved."

"Moved? But where? And why?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"That was just two."

"Okay well if you must know, you're moving to D13 with another inmate."

Another inmate? Emily thought, oh god, let her be someone as nice as Rojas was.

The guard stopped in front of the opening and Emily was escorted by a female guard the rest of the way towards her new sleeping and living area. The tall brunette guard stopped in front of the opening and handed Em a new pillow, "well her you are fields, say hello to your new roommate."

Emliy looked up and swallowed hard, "shit."


	9. Chapter 8

**Hanna's POV**

So, not only is my best friend in jail, but she's also in there because of me. She was in the hospital because of me, and she told me she would do this 'for' me. Voluntarily, Emily sacrificed her good name for me and I still have no clue why. I thought I had a friend who I could trust before but she turned out to be a phony. But from the day I met Emily, we always had each other's backs and it stayed that way, like a silent pact and this is the one time I broke what I thought could never be broken.

I'm the person I am today mainly because Emily has always been by my side. I hated who I was before. I hated who I always tried to be. And in a way, when I met Emily, she was feeling the same way. Together, we helped each other become who we always really wanted to be.

Except, right now, I don't want to be in there for me. She's always been the first to help me, I'm tired of following her lead on that.

**No One's POV**

_(Flashback)_

"_Hey Hefty Hanna, where do you get your clothes? Do you have to have them made special for you? I bet you do, don't you? Who helps pay for them? I know it's not your dad, he left your mom and you, didn't he?" Becca Jacobson sneered from the seat of the bus just two rows in front of Hanna Marin, giggling and whispering into the ears of her followers beside her._

"_Shutup Rebecca! You don't know anything, so…shutup!" Hanna's lower lip quivered and she fought not to let these mean girls see her break._

"_Oh Hefty Hanna's getting mad, what are you going to do? Sit on me? I bet you can't even get here fast enough to do that."_

_Hanna kept her head down and chewed on her bottom lip, forcing herself to ignore the skinnier, prettier, more popular blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl. Hanna wanted so much to be pretty like her, to have friends, to be popular, to have boys want to kiss her, but ever since the 4th grade, Hanna had to face the wrath of Rebecca Ann Jacobson, and what she did to deserve it she didn't know._

"_Oh Hefty Hanna is all quiet now, she probably has food stuffed in her big, fat-"_

"_Oh would you shut the hell up already Rebecca?"_

_Hanna and Rebecca whipped their heads up at the same time._

"_It's Becca! And who's going to make me? You? You and what army Mona? You're just as worse as she is, you and your nerdy little friends."_

_Hanna looked over to Mona who sat a seat to the right of Rebecca and a row ahead. Mona and her friends were kind of nerdy, but Hanna didn't think they weren't pretty. Under all the layers of clothing and long skirts, Hanna could tell they were skinny, they had long hair pulled back into ponytails, and narrower faces than hers…and to everyone Hanna ever knew being skinny was their idea of being pretty._

"_It's been years already and god damn I won't go on this trip with you opening your stupid fat mouth the whole way there. We're in eighth grade, grow up already, I doubt this will be this fun when you go to that private high school that's 2 hours away that your dad is paying for just so he doesn't have to see your face too often." Mona laughed her own laugh and huffed, facing forward again, but not before smiling weakly at Hanna._

_Other kids on the bus snickered and Rebecca clenched her fists, shouting, "you're just jealous Mona, you've always been jealous since I moved here in the 4th grade. You always wanted to be like me."_

_Hanna looked between Rebecca and Mona. Mona wanted to her? Like Hanna did? But Hanna couldn't tell, surely it was a lie._

"_You're so full of yourself, you think you're so perfect? I seen picture of you before you moved here. You moved here because you were being teased too! You weren't so skinny, and you had braces, and let's not forget that unibrow. You can say all the shit you want to Hanna to me to whoever you want, but you're no better than the girls you ran from either. Just because your dad paid to fix you doesn't mean everyone who isn't trying to be like you is broken."_

_Wow, Hanna thought, she is smart._

_Rebecca looked at all the kids staring at her, whispering, wondering if what Mona was saying was true, some laughed, some pointed to Rebecca and scoffed, making the girls face turn red._

"_How do you know that? You're making all that up, you don't know anything. Liar, you little liar!"_

_Mona laughed and shrugged, "okay well no one is perfect, so what that we're different Rebecca, or should I call you Becky…wait, why don't you like being called Becky again?"_

_Rebecca stood up again and ignored the teachers' and bus driver's warning, "shut up Mona, shut up!"_

"_Who's going to make me? You, 'Bucky Becky Beaver'? Oh that's why you hate being called Becky, because there were girls who did the same thing you're doing, and they called you Bucky Becky and Becky Beaver didn't they?"_

_Rebecca whipped her head frantically between Hanna and Mona and Hanna actually started to laugh, 'Bucky Becky,' it was funny, but right now Rebecca looked like a chicken with her head cut off._

"_Ah! I hate you Mona!" She stood up and pointed to Hanna, "and you, you're still fat."_

_Hanna laughed this time and shrugged, calling out so the whole bus could here, "oh yeah? Well guess what Becca? You still look a little bucky."_

_Rebecca squealed and sat down promptly, hiding her tears in the palms of her hand._

_Mona looked back and met Hanna's eyes and they exchanged a smile. That was the day the first version of Hanna, Hefty Hanna, had started to end and another version of Hanna was born. After that day, she spent a lot of time with Mona, and consequently, her friends, and when summer was over and high school was going to start, with no more Becca, and she was no longer Hefty Hanna, Hanna pledged to herself she would be the new "It-Girl." And she was…for awhile._

_x-x-x-x_

"_Mona, why do you have to leave? We just made the cheer squad in spring, why can't you wait until after sophomore year? C'mon school starts in three days." Hanna huffed as she dropped onto her friend's bed surrounded by big brown cardboard boxes._

"_Hanna, I already told you, my dad's work. We have to leave in two days or else. Don't get all emotional, you'll be fine, besides, I heard the girls are planning on you surprising you with something the first day of school."_

_Hanna was close to Mona, but she didn't really talk to the other girls if Mona wasn't around, so this surprise…surprised her._

"_Really? How do you know?"_

_Mona smirked, "because I planned it of course, you think they're smart enough to pull off something on their own?"_

_Hanna laughed, "no probably not."_

"_Exactly, now come on, let's go to the mall,I can't look at another box. Besides, I seen a really cute top that I want before I leave."_

_Mona got up and motioned to Hanna to follow her. On the way out Hanna spotted Mona's wallet on the dresser._

"_Wait Mona, you forget your wallet!"_

_Mona snickered and snatched the wallet from Hanna, "Han, you should know better, we have these," she flung the wallet onto her bed and wiggled her fingers in front of Hanna's face._

"_Mona, we hit the mall twice this week already, I think I can afford to buy you a shirt."_

"_Aw, c'mon, what's the fun in that? Your mom bought you all those clothes when you lost weight, let's get her something too."_

_Hanna shrugged, "yeah, fine, I guess, let's do it then."_

"_That's the spirit, plus you owe me since I won't be there for your surprise at school."_

"_Fine, let's go shopping."_

"_See, now we're not down in the dumps about me leaving…shopping is uplifting. That's why they call what we do shoplifting."_

_Hanna laughed, even though she knew Mona was the smart one, that was some pretty stupid shit to say, and stupid in Hanna's book, was…well, it was really stupid._

_x-x-x-x_

"_I went to school with Hanna since I could remember but we finally became friends in the 8th grade, well it was the last day, so more like the summer before 9th grade. And here's a little secret, she wasn't the Hanna Marin you all see today, she was someone else, she had no friends, she was awkward and, she was a little heftier." Mona's voice echoed through the speakers._

_Hanna stood frozen in the middle of the gymnasium too shocked to move. This was Mona's surprise for her? What the fuck?! Hanna looked at the other 3 girls and when she saw them laughing she knew, this, this whole thing and friendship was all an elaborate and sick game to just break Hanna again. She looked, horrified, at the screen and dropped her pom-poms to the floor. This was supposed to be the Welcome Back Rosewood video her and the other cheerleaders worked on during the summer. This was definitely not it._

_Hanna looked at the kids in the bleachers and she wanted to vomit. The teachers looked baffled and one Mr. Jones tried to get up and disconnect the video. Hanna ran away before any of Mona's friends, girls who all pretended to be hers, could laugh in her face any more._

_When she barged through the gym doors, she could faintly hear the voices of Mona, Alex, Tiffany and Carly on videos calling her one name she thought she wouldn't have to hear again….Hefty Hanna._

_She didn't even think about why Mona did it, or how she was so good at faking their friendship, why Mona helped her lose the weight and become who she always wanted to be._

_But even that wasn't true, Hanna didn't want to be the "it-girl" she was tired of acting bitchy because Mona said that's what it took to be popular, tired of stealing clothes because Mona said her dad would notice her, and tired of cheating on tests because Mona said she would never be as smart as her._

_Mona did always want to be like Rebecca, but she didn't know how. So spent years obsessing and watching how she did it. She targeted one girl and let the whole see, and everyone knew Rebecca for that, she was infamous for it. Mona wanted to feel bad for Hanna but she couldn't, Hanna gave Rebecca the power and Hanna was an easy target – especially after Mona got her on her side. All Mona had to do was give Hanna something she could easily take away if she had to. Goal accomplished._

_x-x-x-x_

_Hanna missed the whole first week of school. She begged her mom to transfer her to a different high school, but Ashley Marin insisted it would all blow over. Hanna and her mom had a meeting with the Principal of the school to discuss the actions being taken and blah blah, she heard it all before._

_Monday morning came too soon and Ashley had to practically drag Hanna from her bed, "Hanna, you've been in this bed in those same sweats and t-shirt for a week, get up, now."_

"_Ugh," Hanna groaned, "mom, I can't show my face there."_

"_Hanna, you're better than that, you don't need Mona to be confident, you never did. You want to know what I think?"_

"_Is it letting me stay here so you can home school me?"_

"_No."_

"_Then nope, keep your thoughts to yourself please."_

"_Hanna," her mom continued, "I think you used Mona as an excuse to be who you were when you were with her, but I know you always had and still have it in you to do this on your own. Of course, I'll be here whenever you need me, but you can handle high school sweetie."_

"_Ugh, you sound like a mom."_

"_Um, excuse me, that's because I am."_

"_Fine," Hanna huffed and sat up, "ugh but I hate when you do this."_

"_I love you Hanna, now get dressed."_

"_I love you too," she called as her mom left her in her room to change._

_x-x-x-x_

_The meeting with the principal was over and now Hanna had to actually go to class._

'_Great,' she thought, 'I don't even know anyone else here.'_

_Hard to believe, but Mona kept her group close and didn't let anyone in, Hanna was too occupied trying to please Mona and make sure she was upholding her image of the Queen B, to make any new friends. Mona was the mastermind behind everything the group did but Hanna was the face of it all. That also made it easy for Mona to admit to all the things her and Hanna did for fun. Of course no one's face showed up in the video except Hanna's and the cheerleaders were let off because they couldn't be identified with just their voices, it wasn't 'sufficient.'_

_As luck would have it, also 7 minutes of slowly wandering and a stop in the bathroom later, Hanna was standing outside of her second period class, Algebra 3-4. She thought about sneaking out using the door in the back of the locker rooms that lead to the gym that lead to the parking lot, but she knew her mom would get upset. So she sucked in a breath and knocked timidly on the door._

_A new teacher named Mr. Sugimoto opened the door and guided Hanna into the class. She wore everyone was staring and it was silent._

_Silent until she heard one of the basketball players shout to loud, "hey look it's hefty…I mean Hanna!" The portion of the class that surrounded Nick Suarez snickered and he high fived his friend next to him._

"_Enough, the incident in the gym was an act of bullying and I will not and nor with this school tolerate it. Hanna please take the seat in the back behind Miss…" he looked down at the seating chart on his desk, "ah yes, Emily Fields. Emily, raise your hand please?"_

_Emily Fields rose her long, tanned, slender arm and waved her hand._

'_Damnit, did she have to be gorgeous?' Hanna was intimidated already. And as she walked closer, ignoring the chants and whispers, that intimidation only grew. Hanna knew of Emily from the announcements in home period. Her name was always being called for breaking another school or district record for swim but as popular as Hanna thought she should have been, she hardly ever seen Emily Fields._

_Looking at her now, she wonders why not. Emily was long, even sitting, Hanna could tell, she had thick brown hair, killer bone structure and almond shaped brown eyes, smooth baby-like skin and an amazing tan. Damn she had a killer bod. Hanna felt sick, surely Emily Fields was never bullied, surely she was never hefty._

_Hanna rolled her eyes and took her seat quietly, not meeting anyone's eyes on the way._

"_Alright class, please get out your textbooks and look over the practice problems at the end of chapter 1, you should be able to get through 30 of them before class is over, I'll be going around to see if anyone needs help, but please get as much done on your own. Ask your questions sparingly."_

_Hanna lifted her bag to the table and let a single "oh shit" out. She forgot her textbooks in the backseat of her mom's car._

_Hearing this, Emily turned around smiled, "forgot your book?"_

_Hanna looked at the open text in the brunette's hand and looked between it and Emily. This was how things started with Mona. Mona was nice, Mona helped her out._

"_Ladies, is there a problem?"_

"_No Mr. S, it's just Hanna here forget her text, I offered to share with her, if that was okay with you of course."_

"_Well, Miss Marin, it's your first day back, I don't have a problem with it, just make sure you two do your own work."_

"_Okay." Emily smiled a toothy grin. 'Ugh' Hanna groaned internally, 'I want to hate you already.'_

_Hanna had no choice, she was already behind and Emily was being so nice, and sincere, Hanna scooted her desk over and brought out some paper and a pencil._

"_Thanks." She mumbled._

_Emily looked over at the blonde and smiled timidly, she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and replied, "welcome."_

_No more than five minutes later and Nick and his gang had managed to scoot closer to Hanna and Emily._

"_Oink oink, did you hear that Hefty, I'm speaking your language."_

_Hanna's back muscles tightened but she remained silent and kept her head down, working._

"_C'mon, what's the matter Hanna, you're not such a bitch without that Mona telling you what to do, are you? Too bad you're not the popular one anymore and too bad you used to be fat."_

"_You insensitive ass! Shutup Nicolas and do your work if your brain can work on such complicated tasks like doing some basic math."_

"_Nicolas, Emily, what's going on?"_

_Emily put her pencil down and Hanna stayed silent, if she didn't intervene, she wouldn't get dragged in again._

"_Nothing, Nick here is just running his mouth in places he shouldn't, he should be more concerned with running up faster on the court, he couldn't get back on d fast enough when Redbridge's bench player stole the ball from him and had that break away last year. Motormouth here caused the freshman to lose the qualifying game."_

_Nick's friends laughed and teased him playfully._

"_Whatever, what do you know about sports all you do is jump in some water, big whoop, no one even knows who you are."_

"_Okay, I heard enough, if you don't stop, I'll assign you both detentions."_

_Emily's mom was too strict for that so Emily shut her mouth, quickly flipping Nick off when Sugimoto had his back turned._

_Emily returned to her work and looked over at Hanna, she wasn't expecting to hear thank you, but it was strange that she was silent._

"_Hey, you don't have to take that crap from them." Emily was giving advice she wished she actually believed. Although she just spoke up now, Emily was more sheltered and reserved and such a goody-two shoes that if anyone actually knew her, they would know that it was so out of character for her to speak up, but she had seen what happened to Hanna and she hated that the poor girl was humiliated like that in front of everyone._

"_It's whatever, just stupid guys."_

_Emily shrugged, "still, you don't deserve that."_

_Hanna looked at Emily, wanting to ask what her deal was but Nick was back, sitting backwards in the chair in front of them._

"_Hey, so I'm back, and guess what, by boy Ben over there told me something really interesting about you Emily, and it totally makes sense."_

_Emily looked at Ben and regretted ever talking to the greasy-haired, horndog last year at all. Ben was a total pig even for only being 14 at the time and Emily was disgusted with his ideas of what friends should do for friends._

"_What are you talking about, Ben hardly knows me."_

"_Oh I think Ben knows you pretty well. And he told me why you didn't want to go out with him either. And it makes sense. This." Nick waved his hand between Hanna and Emily and smirked._

_Then he shuddered, "you're sticking up for Hefty Hanna here because you like her, don't you. You like her you little lesbo, you're sick."_

_Hanna dropped her pencil and seen the break in Emily's eyes. She knew deep down it had to be true; it was the same look she felt on her face exactly one week ago._

"_Oh real clever, yeah that was romantic for Ben, I bet you're sticking up for him getting rejected by Emily, aren't you? What is that, you're bro code, just fuck off Dickolas Sparks, I think your boyfriend Ben is getting a hard-on because he's jealous you've over here so long."_

_Nick's face turned red with anger and he slammed his hand on the table, "shut your mouth, you're already disgusting to look at, why would you want to make it worse by sitting next to this little les-"_

_Nicolas was leaning over her desk so Hanna stood up abruptly and brought the heel of her hand into his nose, wincing when she heard a small snap and watched as blood poured from his nose._

"_AAHH! YOU BITCH, YOU BROKE MY NOSE!" The boy was doubled over holding his hand to his nose._

_Mr. Sugimoto ran over to Nick, grabbed him by the shoulders and moved to lead him to nurse's office._

"_Class continue your work, Miss Marin, I'm afraid you're going to need to report to the principal's office. Now."_

_Mr. S left with Nick and Hanna stood, breathing heavy and shoving her things in her bag. She was standing behind Emily, who sat silent in her seat, unmoved since Nick came over. Hanna walked down the aisle and stopped next to Emily's desk, "Math is exciting, huh?"_

_Hanna laughed and hoped Emily would too. When the brunette smiled, Hanna was relieved._

"_Dickolas Sparks?"_

_Hanna laughed and rubbed her neck, "yeah, I know, not the best but, actually that was real crappy, but he in my defense I was caught off guard and he was being a real stupid dick, so it seemed…fitting."_

"_It was perfect. Thank you."_

"_Yup, us girls should have our own bro code too plus, you don't deserve that either."_

_Emily smiled at the return of her words and held out her hand, "Hi, I'm Emily," laughing lightly at the new 'bro' she felt she was gaining._

_Hanna took it and returned, "Hi, I'm Hanna."_

_Mr. Sugimoto returned and stood in the doorway, "Miss Marin, principal's-"_

"_I'm coming. Bye Emily, see you later."_

"_Yeah, see you later."_

_From that day on, the two of them were thicker than thieves, a phrase Hanna liked more than the original 'thick as thieves,' since things with her thieving friend ended the way it did._

_x-x-x-x_

_Hanna quit the cheer team and dedicated her after school hours to hanging out with Emily or cheering her on at every swim meet there was. Ashley was more than happy to see the change in Hanna's mood that her newfound friendship with Emily had brought._

_A friendship that stayed strong and loyal to the very day, a friendship that was very doubted, not until there was a reason to…_

x-x-x-x

The guard stopped in front of the opening and Emily was escorted by a female guard the rest of the way towards her new sleeping and living area. The tall brunette guard stopped in front of the opening and handed Em a new pillow, "well her you are fields, say hello to your new roommate."

Emily looked up and swallowed hard, "shit."

"Well, that's not really what I was expecting to hear. But that's okay, hello Emily." Her voice was velvety and smooth, calm, considering what Emily knew about what happened the day before.

"S-so, it looks like we're bunkmates now." Em stuttered nervously.

"So it seems." Why was she so calm?

Emily shuffled to her side of the unit and was met with a box of all her belongings from her old bunk. She sighed in relief and started to set up her side the same way as before.

"Well, this should be fun."

Emily thought, for someone who 'doesn't' speak much, she was sure talking a lot.

"Yeah, well I'm going to get to bed now.

Emily shoved the box under her bed and laid down facing the wall her back to the girl and held the scratchy blanket close to her body.

"Okay, goodnight, Emily."

Emily swallowed hard and shifted in her bed, laying on her back and feeling an unease wash over her, "goodnight Alison," she breathe out heavily.

x-x-x-x

_**AN: a surprise update because some of you couldn't handle the cliffhanger…lol and I don't want to be sued ;) HAHAHA**_

_**I thought it would be good to give some back story on Hanna and Em before some real shit goes down later…stay tuned**_

_**P.S. I really shouldn't have written this today, I have an Exam tomorrow…oh shit, oh well, y'all better love me, wish me luck babies!**_

_**Lina**_


	10. Chapter 9

"_Okay, goodnight, Emily."_

_Emily swallowed hard and shifted in her bed, laying on her back and feeling an unease wash over her, "goodnight Alison," she breathe out heavily._

x-x-x-x

**No One's POV**

Emily tried to sleep that night, she really did. But she was too perplexed by the blonde who lay only 5 feet from her to let sleep come and take her away.

Her thoughts ran rampant of the past 48 hours and she never would've imagined this is where she would be at this point in her life. How could she have seen this?

What was bugging Emily more however, was the collectedness of her new roommate. Alison was, after all, the one to barge into the bathroom and save her...right? That was no figment of her imagination. Knowing that, Emily wondered what could have made Alison seem so smug yesterday. Was that the right word? The odd look she had thrown Emily's way, plus the way she was speaking. Em only just met the girl but it did seem out of character.

So Emily tossed and turned within the narrow frame of the bed and kept thinking about how she was going to handle this. She wanted to say thank you, that much she knew for sure, but she didn't know how or when and what Alison's reaction would be.

Sleep didn't come but morning did and when the natural light started to illuminate the small living space Emily now occupied and shared, she sat up, rubbed her eyes and waited. For what she wasn't sure. Was there supposed to an alarm clock to start the day? Would someone come in and yell for them to wake?

Emily stared ahead of her and made the mistake of letting her eyes wander over to Alison. What was her deal? She heard things her first day hear, from other passerby inmates, even the guards and her counselor. They all had this tone in her voice, like fear and disgust combined, but from what Emily encountered, the traces of either of those were gone.

The blonde seemed to be sleeping soundly. She looked actually peaceful despite the thin mattress, the even thinner and itchy blanket over her and the flattened pillow beneath her head. Emily tilted her head and wondered if Ali was used to it by now. She wondered just how long Ali had been here.

Em kept her eyes trained on the hand that had fell sometime during the night out of the blanket, hanging out over the edge of the bed. Her fingernails were painted blue and Emily smiled. Blue was her favorite color and it looked nice paired beside the paler tone of Alison's skin.

"Ehem," Emily's observation was cut short when the blonde cleared her throat and waved the same hand Emily was staring at, "hello, you okay there? Oh do you want to stare some more?"

Emily looked up, slightly horrified, her mouth literally fell open in surprise and she was without anything to say.

Ali's face eased and she actually smiled lightly, "it's okay Emily, I'm only kidding."

Her roommate laughed mildly at the expression on her face and Emily smiled nervously, "yeah I- uh, I was just looking...um, that's a nice color." Smooth Em, she thought, real smooth.

Ali smiled in amusement and held her hand out in front of her, examining her own nails, "yeah I see you have a thing for blue don't you?"

Emily's brows knitted in confusion and she wondered what Ali meant. She looked up and she was met with the bright blue of Alison's eyes and she swallowed, Ali didn't think-

"The pictures Emily, don't look so freaked out." Alison got up from her bed, walking towards Emily and pointed at the pictures she had retaped to her new wall.

"You're wearing a blue top in both of these," she paused to tap them both, "you have a blue necklace in this," Ali glided her fingers over another, "and I'm assuming the car you and blondie here are leaning against is yours."

Emily turned her head to look at the pictures and she laughed lightly, maybe she liked the color a little too much?

"And what color is it?" Ali asked, backing away from Emily's personal space, clearly amused with herself, "it's blue."

Emily laughed and nodded, "touché Sherlock Holmes."

Ali shrugged and sat herself back on the bed, her back against the cold wall, eyes trained on the brown ones across from her, "actually you might be just a little bit easier to read."

The brunette raised her eyebrow, "read? You think I'm like a book to you or something?" Emily smiled and waited for a response.

"I think all people are like books. They have covers...and we all judge them regardless of the stupid saying. Some people, like books, are dense and dry. Some are colorful. Some are deep. Childish even or filled with drama and all that crap. I could go on because the parallels are almost endless. But it all depends. We are simultaneously the author and the contents of the book itself, after all we all have some story to tell right?"

Emily was taken aback by the sincerity and tone reflected in Alison's voice and she felt at little uneasy with how heavy the air became between them.

"What's yours?" Emily blurted out before she even realized it.

Alison quirked an eyebrow and feigned a look of confusion, forcing Emily to ask again.

"Um, your story you know? What's yours?" Her voice was quiet and smaller than she had hoped and she cursed herself internally for crumbling slightly under the eyes across from her.

"Emily, I don't think you should concern yourself with stories like mine."

Emily opened her mouth to protest but was cut off, "if you want to get any warm water, I suggest we take an early shower.

Brown eyes widened in shock and Ali almost choked on laughter, "relax, there are these things called stalls Fields." Ali laughed and grabbed her towel from the little hanger on the wall.

Staring dumbfounded in the direction Alison left in, Emily scrambled to find her towel stored in the little gray cabinet at the head of her bed and follow after the blonde. There were a few other women waking early automatically and heading towards the showers.

Emily walked in to the new showering quarters and swallowed, she remembered doing the same thing yesterday and now she had the little cut above her eye to show for it. Her eyes unknowingly searched out for someone and when they found her, Emily's legs seemed to move on their own accord.

She looked sideways and stared at the door for longer than she expected.

"Hey," Ali scared the living shit out of her when she appeared right behind Em in nothing but her white towel.

"You're in a new wing; this side doesn't share a bathroom with them."

Emily swallowed hard, "them?"

Ali nodded, "those bitches who attacked you."

"Oh, right."

Ali sighed, "plus they added two guards to every shower round, you didn't see Callahan at the door?"

Emily looked at the entrance to bathroom and looked at Ali puzzlingly, "Callahan?"

Ali laughed softly, "yeah, she's a guard. She usually patrols the grounds while we're outside, they brought her in so we can have more lady guards on standby."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Ali nodded and started to back away from the stall.

Em's eyes found hers and she instinctively reached out to grab Ali's hand, "Alison wait."

Ali looked down and at the contact and Emily withdrew her hand, cheeks reddening, "s-sorry."

"It's okay Emily; you won't erupt into flames just because you touched me, you know?" Ali laughed half-heartedly and stood a step back, "I uh-I'll let you shower."

"Thank you."

Ali nodded, "what for, this is where we shower."

It was Em's turn to laugh, "no, thank you for yesterday. I um- I can't imagine what would happen if you didn't-,"

"Then don't."

"What?"

"Don't imagine that, those girls were stupid and there's no excuse for what they did, so don't imagine what would have happened, they're disgusting."

Emily nodded, "Yeah but I- yeah, okay, I won't. Thank you, again. I don't know how you knew or why you were-"

"Emily, I would love to talk, but now's not the time nor the place, wouldn't you think?"

The brunette felt incredibly stupid and her cheeks got hot with embarrassment.

"Remember that hot water I was talking about?" Ali smiled and walked into the covered shower stall next to Emily's.

Em nodded, "yeah."

"Well then what are you waiting for, everyone is bound to up now and rushing to shower."

Emily didn't say a word, she just closed the curtain, awkwardly undressed and took the shower she needed. Ali was right, the water was much more pleasant than before and Emily relaxed, letting the hot water soothe her muscles and rinse away the pent up tension she didn't know was building in her neck.

Em groaned and she sighed loudly, this would be her life for the next few months.

The hot water was short lived as Em heard more and more women come in and turn the water on, so Emily hurried to rinse the soap from her skin and wrap her body in her towel.

She hadn't noticed Alison was done long before her, causing an awkward glance to an unsuspecting woman who was undressing in the stall next to hers. She shivered from the image and tried to shake it from her mind, but she efforts thwarted as she clumsily bumped into a woman in front of her.

"Shit." This woman was small and had short brown hair and big pale green and hazelish eyes.

Emily held her hands out, "Oh my gosh I am so sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you, I didn't even see you-,"

"Woah calm down, it's okay, I think you just bruised my toe...not to mention my ego."

Emily tilted her head in confusion at that last statement.

"You didn't even see me? It's because I'm like 5'2" right, and you're what? Like 5'8", 5'9"? It's okay, I got the short jokes a lot, you're going to have to do better than that."

Emily face relaxed and she actually laughed a little, "no, that's not what I meant, I'm so sorry, I just-,"

"Stop, I already said it's okay, I'm not gonna go and gather my other little people and hunt you down."

Emily's eyes widened and it was the shorter girl's turn to laugh, "relax, I don't actually have a gang of short people ready to chop you all down to size."

An awkward laugh fell from Emily's mouth and she realized just how paranoid she was. She also bumped into the girl a second time when a bigger more robust woman walked past, bumping Em's shoulder.

The smaller girl laughed again and took many steps away from Em, "look you seem nice but also a little accident prone, I suggest to leave before you break something, or get another one of those." She pointed to the cut above Em's eye and realized when Emily cringed, where she got that cut, "oh shit, wait you're Fields aren't you?"

Emily looked up, shocked that someone knew her name and nodded slowly.

"Oh my gosh, sorry, I was friends with your old roommate, Rojas, we used to steal paper and pens from the activity room to write, she was a great writer, I'm so sorry I uh- heard about what happened, yesterday, I didn't mean-,"

"It's fine." Em hung her head low and shook her head, reiterating, "It's fine, really."

More women started to pile in and the small girl peered over Emily's shoulders on her tiptoes, "I should probably grab a stall before I'm standing out here waiting, but let me make it up to you. Find me at breakfast."

The small unnamed girl gripped Em's arm in a friend like fashion and walked past her.

Em was stuck standing there before a guard leaned her head in and said loudly, "breakfast in 20 people, let's get a move on."

Emily looked up and assumed this woman was Callahan even before she looked for a nametag.

"You, legs, what are you waiting for?"

Emily looked down dumbly, confirming that yes, she had legs before making them move and bring her to her 'room.'

When she got there, she realized she was less than surprised to find that Alison wasn't there. It seemed that as much as people wanted to stay away from her, Alison wanted just the same.

Emily dressed quickly, telling herself not to think of the short walls, no doors and utter lack of privacy. She laughed when she pulled her shirt over her head, thinking of all the things Hanna would say if she were here with Em, putting on the same clothes.

She allowed herself to think of her best friend, who would probably complain about the undergarments first. She let her hear Hanna's voice in her head, "ew Em no, I will not wear these long granny panties, and there's no way in hell I'm wearing that bra, they don't even hold up the girls. Oh that shit? Those pants, ew no Em, you know orange is not my color. I'd rather die than be seen in this."

Emily laughed and shook her head, she couldn't wait to call Hanna. Especially to see how the search for Caleb was coming and if Hanna told the Hastings lawyer anything.

Generic white slip on shoes slid over her feet and after brushing through her hair lazily with her hands, Emily wandered slowly from the confines of her block and out towards wherever breakfast was.

It wasn't too hard to find, she walked past a guard who pointed her in the right direction and soon enough there she was, amidst the two doors that reminded her of Rosewood High's. She laughed at feeling like she was in high school again and cringed when many eyes fell on her.

Some stayed fixed on her as she walked towards the end of the line, some were menacing, curious, some were definitely judging and Em imagined this is what it must feel like to be the new kid.

She kept her head low and made it to the line, bringing a tray with her as she walked. She looked ahead to see what was being served, stomach growling in response. It didn't smell as pleasant as the Brew and Emily wished for nothing more than one of her famous Go-Go Morning wraps. It had chicken and egg, avocado bacon-

"Hey!" A strangely familiar voice was at her side and Emily smiled at the same short brunette who she bumped into earlier in the showers.

"Hey." Emily forced a smile and turned her attention back to the girl, "you sure you want to be this close?"

The girl looked puzzled and Em laughed, "'accident prone' rememeber?"

The girl laughed and looked around, nodding her head, "right, well there's not much to break or ruin here, just try not to step on my toes again?"

Emily shrugged, and smiled "apparently I can't promise that."

The smaller one laughed and held her hand out, "hi I'm Aria."

Emily smiled and returned the hand shake, "Fields, Emily Fields," she said in a James Bond fashion.

Aria laughed and nodded, "not bad Fields, I'm Montgomery."

"Nice to meet you again."

Aria smiled and pointed ahead, "hey you're next."

Emily turned back around and pointed around at the food being served, she asked for eggs, sausages, toast and some hash browns and got some yellow stuff, grey mystery meat links, cardboard and mashed potatoes.

She walked and way and grimaced, "close enough."

Aria was soon behind her, "hey come sit with me, I think I can help with your first breakfast."

Emily shrugged in a why not fashion and let the small brunette lead her towards a table near the back of the 'cafeteria'.

She sat next to Aria and was met with three other faces. They all had to be about the same age as her and when Aria said hey to all of them, Em lifted a hand and waved timidly.

"Hey guys this is Emily or Fields, what do you prefer?"

"Emily is fine."

"Alright so this is Emily, Emily this is Bubbles, Aryn and Val."

Emily nodded at each of them, "Bubbles?"

The said girl waved and nodded, "yeah that's me, I just like gum." And on queue she blew and pink bubble and let it pop, pulling it back in her mouth and chewing it again.

Emily laughed, "and I like real food."

Val, the girl with real short black hair nodded, it was swept over to one side and the other side was shaved. It looked good and surprisingly not intimidating at all, "it gets better believe me. First week or two is kinda hard though, after that, you just eat it for substance."

Emily nodded, "ah I see."

Bubbles as she liked to be called got up and excused herself from the table, "I have to make a trip to the ladies' room."

The girls waved her away, "Bubbles sits with us during breakfast and that's about it," Aryn shrugged, "but she's nice and we don't mind."

Aria elbowed Emily and handed her a few small packets, "here, I owe you for the comment I made earlier."

Emily looked down and looked confused.

Aryn, the slender, taller brunette friend laughed, "it's salt and pepper."

Emily laughed, "okay and why will this help?"

"The food is bland, but the cheap asses running this place don't let us have our own seasoning or condiments," Aryn added.

"Then how did you get this?" Emily looked over at Aria.

Aria smiled and bit her lower lip, reaching in her pocket and giving Em some ketchup too.

Val rolled her eyes, "Emily, see that guard over there?"

Emily subtly followed Val's finger and found a tall guard with dark hair and blue eyes standing near the door. She hadn't seen him before but she seen him now so she nodded.

"That's Pitz, Aria is all hot for him and he's all hot for her, he slips in some stuff to this little one sometimes," pointing at Aria.

Aria shrugged, "I'm not like obsessed with him though, so calm down Val, you act like it's a big deal."

"It is a big deal when you two start sneaking around to suck face."

Emily laughed at the tone of them and thought back to her times with friends in college where it sounded just like this. Okay maybe not JUST like it but close enough. She really wanted to call Hanna now.

"Admit Aria, you're in love with stinky ole Pitz."

"Val, it's Fitz okay, stop calling him that."

Aryn laughed and waved at both of them, "hey would you too stop staring? Gosh people will start to catch on."

They all turned back around and Emily made the mistake of taking a bite of the unseasoned food.

"Oh god," she gagged, "I see why to need these."

Em ripped the packets with her teeth and spread the contents as easily as she could over her 'food.'

The second bite wasn't good either, but it wasn't as bad.

She elbowed Aria playfully and said with a mouthful, "tell Pitz I said thank you."

Aria groaned and palmed her forhead, "Emily, I hate you already."

Aryn and Val laughed and shrugged, "Well it's official Emily, welcome to the club."

Emily smiled and nodded, swallowing her food, and washing it down with some water.

She felt a little at ease, there was nothing here that she should've been worried about. Aria wasn't going to gather a army of short women against her after all.

Emily continued to eat her food, unaware of the blue eyes that hadn't left her since she walked in.

After talking aimlessly about missing the boys back at home, Reyes name came up.

Aryn groaned and squeezed her fists together, "oh my god, and he's not just guard, he's an actual cop too. Ugh, I'd let him handcuff me and do whatever he wants with my body."

Val laughed and made puking noises.

"What about you Em? You think that Reyes cop has a cute butt?" Aria asked.

Emily felt the heat rise to her cheeks and she shrugged, "Um, I don't know, I guess."

She didn't know why, but she didn't want to just flat out tell them that she was gay. She stopped being ashamed of it when senior year started and Hanna convinced her to come out and accept who she was. Hanna was the first to accept Emily like that, even before she did, so she didn't understand why she didn't just tell these girls that he definitely wasn't her type. Not to mention she knew him and he actually tried hitting on her.

So she shrugged and agreed and let the girls keep gushing over the men there. Aryn looked quizzically at Emily and chewed on her lip in thought.

Emily sensed that there were eyes on her and she looked up at Aryn, really looking at the girls face. She was pretty, she had nicely shaped eyes, they were light brown, she had long wavy hazel to chestnut colored hair, and even sitting down Em could tell she was tall. She kind of had broad shoulders for her smaller frame and Emily cleared her throat to stop the awkward look she was good.

"Emily did you used to swim in high school?"

Em choked a little on her grey food and nodded hesitantly, "yeah, I did."

Aryn narrowed her eyes, "you're that girl from Rosewood. You're the Emily Fields."

Emily's eyes widened and she nodded, "yeah, I already told you my name, but how did you know what high school I went to?"

"I was a freshman at Brentswood when you were a senior, I didn't really know what you looked like, but your name was everywhere. I swam for the Dolphins and I remember our coach always saying how Rosewood's captain was always breaking records and killing everyone else's time. You were the best anchor he's ever seen he said."

Emily's cheeks reddened and she didn't know how to feel about someone knowing so much about her past.

"Um, yeah, that's me."

Aryn shook her head, "holy shit, you're a living legend for anyone who's ever swam around here. I'm surprised you never went to the Olympics."

Emily swallowed and met the eyes of Aria and Val.

"It's true, were you really that good?"

"I mean I guess."

"Guess? Stop being modest," Aryn argued, "guys she was the best ever, our school never got a chance to compete against you in league but we read all the papers and I know all your times, you helped Rosewood win 6 consecutive titles while you were there."

Aryn seemed to now be focusing the gushing on Emily and Em squirmed in her seat.

"Yeah, well it seems you know all about me."

Em froze, suddenly wondering if she also knew about Em's sexuality.

Aryn shot her a quick wink, "not everything."

The other two didn't catch it, but added, "wait so you went to Rosewood and the three of us are from Brentswood, why have I never seen you Emily? We share the same mall."

Emily shrugged, "I dunno."

"Hmphf, weird."

Emily did everything to avoid Aryn's gaze and she focused on finishing her water.

Val was the next to speak, "Hey Emily?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"What's with DiLaurentis?"

Val jutted her chin and Emily turned her head around to follow her line of sight.

There she was, Emily didn't even think to look for her when she got there. She swallowed and gave a small timid wave at the blonde. Alison didn't acknowledge the gesture and went back to sitting alone and staring out the window. She looked absolutely brooding and Emily waved. The brunette turned back around, wondering why the blonde seemed to have too many moods to keep up with.

"Did you just wave?" Aryn asked, sounding shocked, nervous laughter also in her thorat.

"Yeah, she's um, she's my new roommate."

Jaws dropped and Emily shrugged, "what?"

Aria swallowed, realizing the look on her friends faces meant she would have to tell Emily.

"You got assaulted in the bathroom and they gave you the same bunk room as DiLaurentis?"

"Yeah, she's not that bad."

"Not that bad?!" Val asked incredulously, "haven't you heard what people say about her? How can you say she's not that bad?"

"Because she's not. Also I like to have my own opinion about people, I dint just swallow the ones people are feeding me."

"Fair enough Emily, but I'd be careful if I were you, no one even knows why she's really in here."

"And? I don't know why either of you are, and you don't know why I am. Who's to say were not the ones people should look out for?"

Aryn raised a brow, "should we be watching out for you?"

"God no, I couldn't hurt a fly."

Aria laughed to break the tension, "not intentionally anyways, she's too clumsy."

"Hmm, well then Fields, just why are you in here?"

Emily swallowed, dammit she hated saying this over and over, "I um, I tried to steal this necklace from a jeweler's at the mall."

The table exchanged looks and laughed, "omg guys, she's like us."

"Like us? What do you mean? You guys- you tried to steal too?"

"Um," Aria began, "not exactly."

"Well, then what exactly?"

Val laughed, as she began to start the story, "okay so the three of us have been friends since high school. We started hanging out when we all joined some community service program. So one day, I think it was junior year, we went to this event near Newsborough in Philly to listen to some square talk about his company, EchoTech or something."

"EcoTech," Aryn corrected.

"Yeah that, so we went and this guy was talking on and on about how he did community service in high school and college and that's what made him start his company. Ecotech basically provides companies with clean energy and what not, without hurting the surrounding areas of wildlife around them."

Aria butted in, decided Val was taking too long, "so the three of us are really excited about this guy and his company and later that week when our teacher tells us their having open internships for students in their senior year, we decided we'd do some research and find out what they're about, you know get to know them beforehand."

Emily nodded.

"Well," Aria finished, "turns out EcoTech didn't give a shit about where they drew their energy from. We found out that they had built a dam to harness freshwater and uses the natural water flow to create the energy that powered the systems running in the dam. Well that clean water filter was killing the fish around it, yeah they're freshwater dams, but when all those chemicals were released for filtration, they didn't even bother to keep everything in containment."

Val nodded vigorously, "they were basically poisoning everything and passing it off as clean and safe to make their money."

Aryn rolled her eyes, "greedy bastards got what was coming to them. So we made plans and when we were in college at UPenn, we went back to Philly with of bunch of other kids we told and totally trashed the place, we spray painted the walls and tore down all the shit hanging from the walls."

Emily found herself nodding again, "so that's why you're here?"

"No, we're here because the three of us broke into the server and I downloaded their data and then uploaded a virus."

"You're a tech head?" Emily asked amused.

Val grinned, "the best in the county."

"Really, I think I know someone back home who would have to disagree."

"We'll see."

"Anyways," Aryn interjected, gaining Emily's attention, we broke in and did all that and Val over here didn't remember to take down the security cameras."

"No way?" Emily asked, laughing, "but you're the best."

"Hey, that's the last time I try to commit a crime with these two, Aria got cold feet half way and all Aryn wanted to do was set the place on fire."

Aryn shrugged, "I still think we should've."

"So you guys got caught? When?"

Val shrugged, "um, shit, I don't know, it took a lot of planning, but it was definitely after freshman year, we kind of forgot about it, so sometime when we were sophomores."

"Damn," Emily nodded, "so you've all been-"

"Stuck in this boring hell-hole for over 5 years now? Yup."

"Sheesh."

"But don't worry, we got caught in February, trial took a few months, we were sentenced so it will it'll be 6 years in May, then we're home free."

"Really? Woah, because I only got sentenced to 4 months, 3 with good behavior so-,"

"Well probably get out at the same time?" Aryn suggested.

"Yeah, probably, then you guys can head over to Rosewood and eat at The Brew. I'm the co-owner with my best friend?"

"Really? That's so cool, yeah we'll definitely have to stop by."

Emily nodded, "so when is breakfast over?"

"Eager to get to work?"

Em realized who else would be where she worked and she shook her head, "no not really, but I work in the library so you know, it's kinda nice in there, I can read whenever I want because there's not much to do."

"Won't you be scared for your life," Aria asked in a mocking tone, "DiLaurentis works in there."

Aryn imitated the tone, "yeah you already have to sleep in the same 'room' and now you have to spend hours out of your day working with her. Won't you be tortured?"

"No," Emily deadpans, "I won't." She was starting to get sick of everything thinking Alison was some sort of monster or disease, "Alison was actually the one who stopped those women yesterday."

The three others' jaws dropped again and Emily stood, "yeah, so why don't you judge her based on that, and not what everyone seems to think. You don't know her whole story."

Emily could see she wasn't going to get a response so she grabbed her tray, "It was nice meeting all of you, I hope we can sit together again, but I should go."

It was just in time to because Officer Fits announced that breakfast was over and Emily sighed in relief. She had told the girls they didn't know Alison's whole story, but neither did she. In fact, she hardly knew anything about her roommate except for how scared everyone was of her. But that would change, somehow Emily was going to get Alison to tell her what her story was, the real one.

x-x-x-x

"Fields, you're late."

"What? I just checked in, I told I was leaving to use the restroom," Emily defended.

"You talking back? Should I write you a shot?"

"A what?"

"Hey, hey, back off dipshit, leave her alone, you act like there's an actual punishment you can dish out, she checked in early okay, why don't you go back to fantasizing over your porno comic books?"

The guard rolled his eyes but the red in his cheeks betrayed him and he cleared his throat, "watch it DiLaurentis, I can still write you up."

Alison rolled her eyes, "oh bite me."

She turned around and motioned with her finger for Emily to follow her.

"C'mon Emily, we have three boxes to sort out. Then we're supposed to head to the basement and put some old books in the archives."

Emily simply nodded and followed the blonde to the stack of boxes filled with donated books from around the area.

She waited by one of the shelves until Alison instructed her to do something.

"Here, you can get that box, I think it came from a church, there's at least 8 bibles in them."

Emily nodded and quietly began to take the books out. She looked around and noticed bare shelves and twice as many boxes as before.

"What happened to the other books?"

Alison looked over at all the empty shelves, "they're being replaced, we're getting new ones."

"Why?"

"I don't know, I mean I know some of them had these little bugs in them, so they might be taking them to get burned. But for now we're just supposed to take out the old, bring them to the basement and restock them with these."

Alison dropped her hands atop the boxes and smiled comically, "should be loads of fun," she said in a mocking tone.

"You know, for someone that seems so quiet and reserved, you-"

"Talk a lot?"

"No not a lot...just a normal amount I guess."

"Hmm." Alison looked over the brunette and took her stack and headed to the other side of the shelf, only being able to see Emily through the spaces.

Em kept her head down and started sorting the books alphabetically. She passed classics like Beowolf and Pride and Prejudice, Moby Dick, she laughed when she seen copies of How-To books and even a Twilight Saga book. Some of them were in pretty good shape and Emily found herself thinking of all the previous owners. She wondered what their lives were like and if they knew that one day the books they held might one day be in the hands of a woman in jail? Probably not.

The day was slow and it was quite, Emily not forgetting that she still wanted to get it out of Ali what her story was.

"Hey uh, Alison?"

Alison looked up and nodded in acknowledgement.

Emily understood and grabbed more books to distract her hands, "um I wanted to ask you something."

Alison kept stacking the books and Emily was getting...frustrated. How was Alison, this stranger she barely knew getting under her skin like this? One minute she was giving Emily tips about getting the hot water in the morning, the next she was brooding alone in the cafeteria and then now, she went from being talkative and protective of Emily to the silent treatment.

It was like Alison was playing a game!

Emily huffed and put a pile of books in her line of sight to block out the blonde. The books weren't in order but she didn't care.

Ali looked up and found her vision blocked, she cleared her throat but Emily didn't notice. Or she did, but didn't care.

Alison huffed back and started stacking the books a little too loud.

Minutes passed like this and strangely enough the girls grew a bit irritated with the other.

Emily didn't think she had it in her but she wanted to shout at the girl on the other side of the divide and get rid of the awkward air she was practically choking on.

More time passed and Emily found her breathing a little labored, "Alison?"

Alison looked up, trying to look casual and she walked over to the other side of the shelf, crossing her arms over her chest, "change your mind?"

Em tried her best glare and scoffed, "yeah sure, I changed my mind. I want to ask you something."

"Why do you want to know so much about me Emily?"

"What? You're getting mad because I just want to talk to you? My bad for trying to get to know the person I sleep next to and am stuck in this library with!"

Why was Emily yelling?

"If you feel so stuck here ask for a transfer, I was fine in here myself anyways."

Emily was stuck in utter confusion, "what is your deal? First, you seem nice when I first come in here, then you stop me from being beat up and raped by some crazy bitches and now you're like this? What is wrong with you?"

"Wrong with me? You're the one trying to make everyone you're friend. Shouldn't you try to be flying under the radar so you can get out early?"

How the hell did she know about my sentence, Emily thought.

"Ugh I can't believe I defended you to those girls, maybe they were right." Emily rolled her eyes and kept stacking the books.

She was surprised when Ali came closer, grabbed them from her hand and put them on the table behind them, "would you stop with that? Why would you defend me? You don't even know me."

Emily raked her hands angrily through her hair, "Exactly why I'm just trying to get to know you, I don't fucking know why I would want that anymore now! Geez, you're like bipolar or something."

Alison started laughing and when she kept laughing Emily looked at her, "are you fucking crazy?"

The blonde shook her head, "no I'm not fucking crazy Emily, I'm just laughing because I know exactly what it looks like when someone is bipolar, and I am definitely not bipolar."

Emily stared at the girl and her brows relaxed. "I don't get you Alison."

The brown eyed girl huffed and starting walking away.

"Where are you going?"

Emily rolled her eyes, she didn't want to give an answer but did, "I'm going to ask for a transfer."

"No, wait, don't do that."

It was Emily's turn to laugh now, "excuse me? You don't get to tell me what to do."

"I'm not, I'm sorry, I'm just, I guess I'm just asking you not to."

"Not to what?"

"Not to leave?" Ali looked up and Emily hinted a trace of nerves. Alison was surely not as easy a read and Ali thought Emily was.

"Please," the blonde asked quieter and softer.

"Maybe, but if you want me stay, god I don't know why, you have to answer my question."

Alison looked almost frightened of what that might be but she nodded, "just one."

"Okay, then I want to know...you've been in the same bunk since you got here, whenever that was, and was originally somewhere else, like on the other side, and this morning you said that we have our own different bathrooms, so I guess my question is how in the hell were you close enough to hear me, or be there when you know...?"

Alison took a deep breath and she sighed. She turned around and looked into the box of books for something. She pulled out a blue book, a battered notebook, it was leather bound and seemed old, but a good kind of old that you would appreciate in a book, and she handed it to Emily.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?"

Alison sighed and reached into the box for a pen, handing that over as well.

"I um I got a guard to tell me where you were bunked and I just wanted to give you something to help you out. I started writing when I got here, I know you're old roommate did, and I just thought it would help with the process. I went to find you during the free period we have and when I was passing the bathroom to your block, well that's when I seen those girls go in and talk about fresh meat."

Emily's eyes widened at the book and she felt guilty for her outburst, but it still didn't explain Alison's weird behavior.

"I went to look for you but you weren't at your bed so when I was leaving, that's when I...yeah."

The book in Emily's hand felt heavier than book should and she forced a smile that was closer to a grimace onto her face, "oh, um, thank you, that's um, really thoughtful."

Alison's shoulders dropped as she let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"You're welcome."

"Yeah, sooo..."

"So," Ali rocked on her heels and smiled awkwardly, "ah, I didn't even notice."

"What?"

Alison laughed gently, "its blue," she pointed to the notebook and Emily smiled, "yeah I guess it is."

The brunette set it down on the table and grabbed her stack again, "I'm sorry for my outburst, I just, I was frustrated."

"It's okay, I seem to have that effect on people." Alison's voice was quiet and timid and Emily could almost find it comical how scary everyone else seen her. But then again, she still had much to learn about the blonde.

"I was just, trying to figure you out I guess."

Alison looked up, raising a single brow, "why?," she teased, "to see if you were right to defend me to your friends?"

Emily scoffed, "I barely know them either, I was just telling them not to be so quick to judge."

"Why?"

"Because they don't know you."

"You don't either."

"Then I guess that means I can't transfer just yet."

Alison looked quizzically at the girl.

"Emily why are you talking to me? Why don't you just listen to what everyone tells you and stay away?"

"If I'm so easy to read, why don't you tell me?" Emily asked sarcastically and Alison nodded, amused, "besides Alison, just because people have their own stories about you doesn't mean I have to believe that they're yours."

"Okay, maybe you're not as transparent as I thought."

"So now I'm a dense book?"

"No," Alison laughed genuinely, "just...different."

"Is that good or bad?"

"I'm not sure yet, you're actually the first person to talk to me since I've been here. And I'm just, I don't know how to feel about that yet."

Emily shrugged, "I guess you'll just have to trust me."

Alison wanted to agree but she had issues with trust and she knew the closer people got to her, even if she trusted them, the easier it was for them to hurt her.

"Maybe."

The taller girl sighed, she just wanted to know why the girl in front of her seemed to be so conflicted with her own thoughts, changing moods every so often as if she was afraid to let her guard down "one of these days you'll have to answer me."

"I did answer you."

"No, I mean answer a different question."

Alison was confused but equally curious, "yeah, and what question would that be?"

Emily smiled and met the blue eyes with her brown ones, "what's your story?"

Alison froze and she shook her head.

Shrugging Emily added, "I know you said I shouldn't concern myself, but I'm not, I'm just curious."

"Well you shouldn't be. You know they say curiosity killed the cat."

"Yeah and you're forgetting the other half."

"And what's that?"

"That satisfaction brought him back."

"Touché, Fields, touché."

Emily smiled proudly and shrugged thinking to herself that one day would come soon enough.

Alison walked to her side, knowing that she was 'beat' and continued to stack the books. She sighed almost sadly, thinking to herself that even if she told Emily her story, she wouldn't be satisfied at all.

Emily seemed like the type of girl who liked the happily ever afters and always rooted for the underdog to win, like she cried even for the happy things and well, those weren't the kinds of chapters that filled Alison's story.

_**x-x-x-x**_

_**AN: I won't be home at all these weekend so I decided to update this a bit early, and I will most probably do the same for ISIKYW and YSM.**_

_**Tell me what you thought about this! Please? Lol, the next chapter is a big flashback from Ali's past, ooooh I'm so excited.**_

_**\- Lina xo**_


	11. Chapter 10

_**AN: this chapter is vital to see into Ali's past, and I'll have you know that for some people this may come as a *trigger warning (Although I have written from personal experience before (for my personal collection of stories and etc) , I've never published/shared a scene/chapter like this, so please let me know what you thought?) All feedback is constructive and I just want to make this the best for my readers, I care about all of you, thanks loves, Lina xo**_

_Emily seemed like the type of girl who liked the happily ever-afters and always rooted for the underdog to win, like she cried even for the happy things and well, those weren't the kinds of chapters that filled Alison's story._

x-x-x-x

**No One's POV **

Two Years Earlier

"_I've had enough, that's why, that's why I'm leaving! I'm 23 and I'm done dealing with this Michael!"_

_Alison was walking rapidly around her and her boyfriend's room, gathering her clothes and throwing them into a small duffel bag, it was late and she didn't want to wake her neighbors, but it never stopped her from arguing with Michael before._

_He stood in the door way, drink still in hand and he laughed, "Alison, we both know you're not going anywhere, you're not just going to throw 3 years away. You can't," he scoffed, "not just like this." He smiled and took a large swig from the glass liquor bottle he had in his hand. There was an annoying arrogance in his voice and Alison had heard it get increasingly obnoxious over the past 7 months._

_She sighed and rolled her eyes, "I'm not throwing anything away...you started to do that all on your own the moment you started to drink."_

"_This is about...this?" Michael held up the bottle and took an unbalanced step forwards, "you want to leave me because I go out and drink sometimes? Alison I'm 29, I can do whatever I want to do."_

"_And I'm 23 and so can I! I don't know what the hell I saw in you that first night but god I regret letting you buy me a drink."_

"_One, you loved it," he made a big gesture with his hand and smirked, "the allure of an older man pursuing you and two, you're blowing this way out of proportion."_

_Alison rolled her eyes again, this time in disbelief, "And you," she jested with a single finger, "are a stupid bastard who is acting like this isn't a big deal, when it is!"_

_Michael hiccupped and took another step forward, attempting to pull his coat off without spilling anything on the floor, "Alison, c'mon, you're being ridiculous."_

"_Am I? You've been staying out late and coming home drunk, and don't think I haven't seen your clothes or smelled you when you lay in bed. I wanted to turn a blind eye, blame it on your work and maybe you were stressed, maybe I was being paranoid, but I talked to your partner, he said you haven't even been getting anything remotely stressful. So for the first few weeks after I found that out, I blamed myself, maybe I wasn't giving you what you wanted, maybe I was doing something wrong, but it turns out, you're just a dead beat. And you know what I deserve better!"_

_Ali grabbed her last item of clothing she could find and stuffed her bag, struggling with the zipper._

"_Better, than me?" Michael stopped what he was doing, successfully removing his coat beforehand and walked more confidently towards Alison who had her back to him. "And you know this how," he continued, "is there someone offering you better?"_

_Ali finally managed to zip her bag and turned around with it hanging heavily on her shoulder, "what? No, and it wouldn't matter if there was, I have the right to-,"_

_But she was cut off abruptly when Michael lifted the bottle from his hand and threw it forcefully at the wall behind her._

"_DAMMIT, DON'T YOU LIE TO ME BITCH!" Michael took the final step to be only a foot away and he towered over her, the smell of alcohol hot in his breath, eyes red and face flushed; his sense of imbalance gone, anger sobering his coordination._

_Alison cringed and struggled to keep her bag on her shoulder, she had seen many versions of a drunk Michael, but very one this confrontational._

"_Michael, please, just let me go?"_

_But he didn't budge. He was tall standing at 6'2" and although he had a somewhat attractive face, nothing about him now appealed to Alison, he used to be charming and thoughtful, but after he got his job, he started to change, and once Alison moved in, the real Michael Richards started to show._

"_Go where?" He almost growled and if Alison wasn't mistaken, he sounded possessive._

"_I know a friend who can help me, I'm going to stay over until I can-,"_

"_Which friend?"_

"_No one you know, just an old friend, I don't need to explain Michael, when I said I would end this is you kept-,"_

"_What friend?"_

"_Why do you need to know? I don't want anything to do with you anymore."_

"_Is it the guy you've been fucking behind my back?!"_

"_Excuse me, not once have I thought nor did I ever cheat on you. Don't you dare!"_

"_That's where you're going right? That's where the something better is that you deserve isn't it? What's his fucking name?"_

"_There is no one!"_

"_You're a liar!"_

"_Why the fuck are you so blind, move so I can get the hell out of here."_

_She shrugged the bag back on her shoulder securely and took one step forward before she was stopped in her tracks. Michael stepped to the side and blocked her path._

"_Look, when you're sober, call me so I can get the rest of my things."_

"_But you're not leaving."_

"_I can't be with you like this anymore, so actually I am. You would've seen this coming if you weren't out at night drinking with your buddies and paying for free fucks at the strip club."_

"_Free fucks, oh Alison, I never fuck for free."_

_Her skin started to bubble with rage and she lost it, "oh yeah? I know, I've been actually and I also know that you've been screwing that whore at your office Janet!"_

"_Watch your mouth; you don't know what you're talking about."_

"_Actually I do, you think you're the only one who pays for what you want? No, I found someone who helped me look into everything you've been up to, and I can't let this one go Michael, I won't."_

_She started to walk again before the air was suddenly lost in her throat as Michael lunged forward, straight towards her neck. She dropped her bag in surprise and looked up wide eyed at the man she thought she could truly love one day. He had his hand gripped around her tight enough so that she struggled to catch her breath once she realized what was happening._

_She looked up, frozen, fear paralyzing her. All she seen in the dark blue of his beady eyes was anger and violence._

_He got close to her, pushing her until her legs were against the edge of the bed and he leaned into her ear, "when I say you're not leaving, you. are. not. leaving." He pronounced every word deliberately and flexed his fingers at the same time._

"_Michael," she tried to push him away, clawing at his hand and pushing against his chest, but he used to play college football, and there no way that some smaller woman just going to make him move with a shove._

_Alison started to panic and it was getting harder to breathe, "you're hurting me," she gasped, holding his hand and wrist so that he wouldn't squeeze any tighter._

"_And you think leaving me won't hurt me?" Michael asked maliciously, tilting his head._

_She didn't know what to do, she was scared and she hoped her brain picked up on it and helped her make a decision, it did and she then pushed hard with all her body weight, but nothing happened, so she gritted her teeth and brought her knee up as far as she could in between his legs, finding success when the pressure around her neck was gone and she was hinged over gasping her air._

_Michael groaned, doubled over, with his hands over his crotch._

_Ali rubbed her neck and ran towards the door, hand reaching to balance her newly lightheadedness against the frame when it was slammed shut in front of her, Michael's dark and looming figure inches away._

"_Alison, you really should've done that."_

"_Michael," she said back away. Her voice carried less confidence than she had wished, "please, just let me go, you're not in the right state of mind okay?"_

"_I'm fine," he gritted and without looking behind him, he turned the lock on the door knob, "I'm fine because like I said, you're not going anywhere."_

_Alison looked frantically for any other way out of their apartment's bedroom, the nearest window was in the bathroom and she knew she would never be able to run past Michael to get there in time, she had to outsmart him._

"_Michael, you're scaring me, please just let me go."_

"_But you love me." It was more statement than Ali wanted to hear._

_So she shook her head slowly, hands outstretched defensively. She hadn't noticed but he was slowly walking towards her, each one of his steps forward mirrored by each of her steps backwards._

"_You love me, so you can't leave."_

"_I don't love you Michael, that's why I have to go, I can't be with you like this and I don't think you're going to get better, please just let me go and I won't call the cops."_

"_Why would you do that?" He asked and he sounded convincingly innocent, or absurdly naïve. _

_Alison's fear was waning, "why? Because you just put your hands on me! I should call the cops now and have them arrest you, and I'll get a restraining order."_

_But the threats went up in the air with no weight to them as Michael lifted his head and smiled, softly laughing, "oh but you know why you can't call the cops, remember?"_

_Alison ran out of space to back up, the backs of her knees finding the edge of the bed again, and she swallowed hard, Michael was just drunk, he's never really hurt her, he never did before so maybe whatever he was drinking got him really-_

"_I see the wheels in your head turning Alison, I can see them, and you can't get out of this one, you're mine, and I say you're not leaving."_

"_Please," Ali pleaded as he came closer and closer, "I won't leave." She answered quickly without thinking._

_He stopped advancing and quirked an eyebrow, "but you'll try as soon as I'm asleep won't you?"_

_Alison looked to wherever her phone was and he followed her eyes, "looking for this? I grabbed it on my way in."_

"_Give that to me."_

"_Why? There's no one for you to call. No friends, no family, why do you even have a phone? Oh I know, it's to call whoever you're fucking behind my back when I'm gone, isn't it?"_

"_No, no Michael it's not."_

"_Then...," he paused to scroll through her phone, "who is JR?"_

"_It's no one!"_

"_Who's the weird number that's always calling you?_

"_Nobody, just some kids pranking me!"_

"_Yet you keep answering? It doesn't seem like no one if you're always calling them, tell me who it is!"_

"_JR is a friend I met at the coffee shop!" She lied, sighing and hoping he bought it._

"_Liar, what's their name, what's he look like."_

"_Her name is Julia Ramirez." She lied._

"_Julia, you're lying Alison, DAMMIT, STOP LYING!" He raised a fist and Alison cringed back, he won't hit me she thought, he wouldn't._

"_Please, her voice was shaky, please, I'll stay, just let me use the restroom."_

_Michael lifted his head and looked Ali in the eyes, gazing through them with his hazy eyes, "I don't think so, I know that there's a window in there."_

_Alison's heart was racing faster than she had ever felt it and she made a desperate attempt at the open bathroom door anyways, her wrist was caught and when she was spun around, a loud noise broke the air and she felt a hot sting burn across her cheek just as she crumpled to the ground._

"_I SAID YOU'RE NOT LEAVING!"_

_Ali was sobbing now, holding the side of her face where she was brutally slapped and curling her body smaller and smaller into the side of the bed._

"_O-okay," she managed, "okay, I won't leave." She trembled, staring at his boots, cringing when he came forward. Truth was she wanted to run, to scream for help, but it really was paralyzing, she felt so weak, helpless, she tried to still her shaking body by taking long and silent breaths._

"_Dammit," her attacker yelled, "fuck!"_

_Alison looked up and her voice was lost, she opened her mouth but nothing would come._

"_You," he growled, walking over to where she half-lay, half-sit, and pointed with his finger, "this is your fault, you made me do this."_

_Was he fucking serious?_

"_This is what you wanted wasn't it? You're just jealous that I don't come home every night to fuck you. This was just a plan right, to make me this angry so I can look like the bad guy."_

_Alison shook her head, afraid of the newfound calmness in his voice._

"_Yeah," he said like he was finally coming to some sensical conclusion, "you want me to be jealous all because you want to be just like the whores at the club don't you?"_

"_N-no, no that's not-,"_

"_I'll give you want you want then, you just wanted the attention, get up!" He commanded and when Alison moved to slow to his liking, he took a big step forward, leaned down and pulled her by her long blonde hair._

_Ali whimpered in pain and when she opened her mouth again, another hand was brought over it, silencing her._

"_I'll be good to you now Alison, I'll give you want you want."_

_Alison's breathing was forced, one hand holding the back of her head and the other covering her mouth and part of her nose, her vision was blurred from the tears in her eyes, but when she looked down to see Michael unbuckling his belt, she tried to get away from his hold he hand over her._

_The tears came heavy and her stomach was turning, flipping, tightening, she was on the verge of throwing up. Alison reached her hands out and winced when they were slapped hard by the hand that was behind her head. Michael returned it and shook his head, "do that shit again and you'll really be sorry."_

_There was no going back now, Alison knew that she could never ever forgive Michael this time around, and she couldn't run, he was too big and too fast, she didn't have anyone to call, she didn't have anywhere else to go, no friends, nothing but this pain and fear. She couldn't even yell because she knew now that he was capable of hitting her, hitting her and-_

_Her thoughts stopped when she felt a cloth pulled into her mouth, tied too tight around her head, almost gagging her._

"_This is so you won't try to scream for help."_

_Alison raised her hands but was forcefully thrown on the bed, Michael soon on all fours, pinning down her wrists and tying them in the same fashion as the cloth around her mouth._

_She kicked and thrashed but all that did was force Michael to lean some of body weight down and keep her still._

_She cringed as she felt his cold hands slid of her body, the contact made her skin crawl with disgust, she was beyond the point of holding in her tears and in her head she was screaming, screaming for help-screaming for anybody-_

_Screaming for-_

"ALISON!" A soft and quieted voice sucked Alison back from the darkness, "ALI!"

Alison sat up, feeling an old sense of a cold sweat over her entire body.

She looked up through the dark and made out the soft almond shape of brown eyes, the tiniest flecks of light brown catching the light at the end of the hall.

"Emily?" It was bitch black and she could make out the other girl's shadow.

"Alison, are you okay?"

"What? What do you mean, why'd you wake me?" Alison looked down to where Emily's hands where still resting gently on her shoulders.

"Uh-," Em looked at her unsurely and set her shoulders, "Alison, you were crying...in your sleep, and then you started to-,"

"I what?" Alison sat up straight effectively removing Emily's hands from her body in the process and she wiped rapidly at her face. It was, in fact, wet with tears.

Emily took a step back and continued kneeling, watching intently as the blonde used the rough ends of the blanket they were all given to wipe the moisture away, "I'm fine."

But the brunette shook her head, "I didn't know, I mean you started to get louder I just didn't want-,"

"What? You didn't want what? For me to interrupt your beauty sleep? I said I was fine, you didn't have to wake me!"

Emily's eyes knitted, at first it was in concern and now in confusion, and anger, "I was just trying to help, it sounded like you were having a night-,"

"The only nightmare I'm having is being woken up this early by you and being lectured about my sleep," the blonde whisper-yelled.

Emily opened her mouth to whisper-yell back but a flashlight was seen at the end of the hall just over the short wall that separated everyone's sleeping quarters, and Emily cursed herself, jumping back into bed before the guard came over.

She regretted literally jumping into the bed as it creaked loudly and she felt a thick spring dig painfully into her shoulder blade. Grunting quietly she covered herself and made it look as though she had always been sleeping by the time the guard came over.

She couldn't tell who it was, but whoever it was had no idea that she was wide awake.

When the darkness returned, unblemished by the yellow light, Emily looked over her shoulder across the bunk and watched her roommate's back, rising evenly now like she had fallen back asleep fast.

With her back turned on Alison's back, Emily stared at the wall and drew pattern over it with her finger, whatever Alison was dreaming about, Emily knew it was personal, and it wasn't just 'nothing' as the blonde had said. Emily sighed and closed her eyes her thoughts wondering what it was that made Alison so defensive, so closed off.

Emily wanted to know more about Alison...

And she also wanted to know, who was Michael?

x-x-x-x

The morning that followed that night that Emily woke Alison up was a slow one. Emily didn't see the girl at all: not in the showers, the bathroom, the rec center, not even at breakfast and today was Sunday, which meant they had the day off so there wouldn't be any chance to see her regularly in the library for work.

Emily walked aimlessly around the grounds until she spotted Aria and her group of friends sitting in the grass and doing some stretches.

"Hey," Em said as she approached, "mind if I join?"

The heads of Aria and Val popped up and Aryn's head was still down stretching until she looked up and stood slowly, taking her time to look at Emily's body from the toes up.

She smirked and gestured next an area next to her, "Not at all Emily, nice to see you again."

"Um yeah, you too." Emily made a face at Aria that said what was her deal but Aria just shrugged.

Deciding to distance herself from Aryn, Emily squeezed in next to Aria and Val, crossing her legs as the other two extended their legs out in front and reached for their toes.

"So Emily, we didn't see you at breakfast today."

Em scrunched her nose at Aria, "was that a question or a statement?"

"Unless you have Harry Potter's Invisibilty Cloak, I'm sure it was a statement," Val laughed.

Emily laughed sarcastically and played back, "and I'm sure that was a rhetorical question."

Aria laughed and pushed Em's shoulder, "oh we're only joking, I think it was Aryn that missed your company the most."

Aryn's eyes widened and she threw what little pebbles she could find in the grass near her feet at Aria, "Aria!"

"What? You're not exactly subtle; either say it or I will, because I'm pretty sure Em here is not the only feeling creeped out by the looks you've been sending her."

Emily started to laugh loudly because she did feel a little creeped out and she shout an apologetic look at a horrified Aryn, "I'm sorry but it is a little obvious when you look at me like that."

"Like what?"

Val stood to grab their attention and dramatically stared at Emily, whistling and hollering, sticking her tongue out like a panting dog.

"Oh my god I do not! Val, stop it!" Aryn's cheeks reddened and Emily stifled a laugh, she didn't mind but it would just be better if Aryn said that she was-

"Oh, don't forget the drool either!" Aria pointed at Valerie, who was still pretending to go gaga over Emily.

"Okay, guys, we get it!" Aryn huffed at sat down in the grass, not daring to look at any of them.

"Aw it's okay Aryn, I get you, you're just star struck by me, aren't you?" Emily got up and in her head pretended to walk down a red carpet, dragging her long gown behind her.

"UGH," Aryn rolled her eyes, just the faintest of smiles cracking at the corner of her mouth.

"Ugh, I told you she was just like us!" Aria laughed and patted Emily on the back when she sat back down.

"That wasn't funny."

Emily tilted her head and seen a genuinely frustrated look on Aryn's face, "hey, its okay you know, I don't mind."

"Really, you're not disgusted?"

Emily was taken aback, "disgusted? Why would I be-," and then realization hit, "oh god no, Aryn, I'm not disgusted at all, look if you, I know, ugh I'm gay!"

The laughter that was dying between Val and Aria silenced altogether and Aryn's eyes widened, "wait what? You are."

Emily remembered the time when she would shrug and say yes timidly in front of those who would ask but not anymore, she knew exactly who she was, "yes, I am, I like girls, I'm gay lesbian, whatever, I don't give too much to label it."

"Wow."

"Wow?"

"Yeah, just wow."

Emily turned to other two for help but they just shrugged, "wow? Is that a good wow or a ba-,"

"Good one, it's a good one."

"Then?"

"I'm just surprised."

"At?"

"The way you said that just now."

"Said what? That I'm gay, it's usually not much of a shocker to people these days, you know?"

"No, not that I'm shocked, I guess it's just- you said that with a lot of confidence and you didn't seem shy or ashamed about it at all."

Emily smiled, "that's because I'm not. It took me years to admit it to myself, years more to accept it and almost just as long for my parents to too, so after that, I decided I was done waiting and hiding it from people, if they asked, I would tell them. The same way I told you."

Aryn sat staring at the girl she considered to be an even bigger idol to her and she nodded.

The silence being cut off by Valerie who sat clapping, "that's great Emily; you're braver than I thought."

Emily scoffed, "brave?"

"Well yeah, you sat with us for a whole day yesterday and didn't try to stab anyone in the neck with a fork, including yourself."

"Who's to say I didn't sneak one back to my room?"

"Ah, see the innocent ones you have to watch out for."

"If I was innocent I wouldn't be in here," Emily said with a little too much seduction in her voice.

"OKAAAAAY!," Aria called, "who's ready for that run now?"

Aryn sat still staring at Emily until Val blocked her line of sight and pulled her to her feet, "c'mon loser, you can ask her later, let me beat your ass in the first lap."

"As if," Aryn said, "you know I'm faster."

"Nu uh, I totally beat you all last week." Aria huffed beside them, all four girls now jogging to the dirt track.

"Really," Emily asked, "I'd like to see that, you have short legs." And with that Em pulled ahead and started to sprint without warning.

"HEY! NO FAIR!" The others fell behind quickly, Aryn with her equally long legs, closing the head start gap Em created and Val and Aria laughing and pushing each other from 30 yards back, yeah, no way Aria beat them Emily thought.

x-x-x-x

"Okay, let's vote, Emily cheated!"

"I did no such thing!"

"Okay, the head start was a cheating move, but guys seriously she took off but waited until we caught up to actually start running for reals." Val wiped the sweat off with the back of her hand and huffed several times before calming her breathing.

"Val, whose side are you on?"

"Um, the right one? Admit it, Emily is in way better shape than us."

"I'll agree."

"Aryn, subtly...definitely not your strong suit." Emily joked, the two girls had talked it out, although awkward at first, but they came to the same conclusion that Aryn was just infatuated with her idol, nothing beyond that would be pursued.

"Wait, you're still hitting on Emily?" Aria asked, pulling her short hair into an even shorter ponytail.

"No, god, I don't think I was thinking of Emily that way, I mean Emily, you've definitely got it going on, but I get the sense that you and I are prime friendship material. We're almost too alike."

Emily shrugged and tilted her head, "Yeah Aria, after we lapped you two a few times, I think talking with Aryn was like talking to the sister I only wish I had. I mean I have Hanna, but Hanna and I are good because we balance each other out."

"Hanna?" Val quirked a brow.

"Oh yeah, she's my best friend, and she has been ever since high school, I- I don't know what I would do, who or where I would be without her, since we met, there was nothing we wouldn't do together, well almost nothing," she laughed thinking of all the times they stood at the sideline to something the other was doing, "damn, I miss her like crazy," Emily added as an afterthought.

"Has she visited?"

"Well I haven't even been here a week yet, but yes, I've seen her. I think she's coming next Friday when she closes up the restaurant."

"Why would you wait till then to talk to her?"

"What do you mean? I cant really pull out my phone and send her a text." Emily laughed.

"Noooo," Aria laughed, "you can make calls out you know? Using the money in your account, you can call for...what's the max time you get?"

"Um," Val thought, flipping her raven-black hair to the side, I think it's 20 minutes, they've upped it this month."

"Nice," Emily agreed excitedly, "Hanna will use about 15 minutes to tell me anything and then that leaves me with more than double my usual 'allotted' time."

The three girls shook their head, imagining the mystery Hanna who was Emily's best friend, babbling on the other end of the phone about whatever was happening 'on the outside'."

"So where is that phone?"

"You're going to call right now? Before you shower?" Aryn made a face, scrunching her nose and waving her hand in front, pretending to swat away something odorous.

"Ha. Ha. Yes, I want to call ASAP, I have a lot to tell her and ask."

Aria smiled and waved Emily away once they reached the entrance back inside the main building, "go go, we'll see you at dinner. Walk towards the counselor's offices, keep going, make a right, down the hall and then another right, you'll be in this little area with like 6 phones, once you get there, there will a guard and everything is pretty self explanatory, should be fun."

Em nodded furiously and swung open the door, "Alright, I got to go, see you later."

"Later," the trio rang out in unison.

x-x-x-x

After making a left then a right and walking to the broom closet, Emily started to get nervous about whatever Hanna may have had discovered. When finally did find the right room with the phones attached to the wall, she paced just outside of it, a swarm of mixed emotions flowing within her. What if Hanna had bad news? No Em, she told herself, it will be something good.

She took a deep breath and followed exactly what Aria had said to do.

A few rings later Emily found herself chewing her lip. The automated voice rang through on Hanna's side, asking if she would like to accept the call, and the moment she did she was connected, "Em?"

"Hanna." Emily sounded relieved.

"Hey, is everything okay?"

"Yeah!," Emily said too soon. She knew Hanna would see...hear right through her, "okay well, I don't really know yet."

"Well...?"

"No, I'll tell you later, so what's been going on, did you find anything?"

"Is this why you called?"

"Yeah, I missed you and I'm worried about you."

"Me, Em-,"

"No, don't 'Em' me, I'm fine."

There was a brief moment of silence and it felt like Emily was holding her breath.

"Em?"

"I'm right here."

"So I talked to Spencer, I asked her if she knew anything about missing person cases, she said she didn't but she asked why and it took me a while to tell her, but I did eventually, I think I can trust her."

"Good, and did she come up with anything?"

"Well apparently her and that Toby Cavanaugh were a thing in high school, but broke it off when she left for college and then life, well anyways, I think they're like getting serious again so she asked him theoretically what the next step would be, but he said exactly what I can't do: file a report."

"Dammit, so then what happened?"

"Nothing, Spencer has been coming to the house every day, looking through mine and Caleb's things to see if maybe I missed something, she's fairly familiar with the law but I don't know Em, we haven't come up with anything."

"Not yet Han, don't lose hope."

"Em, what if-," Hanna's voice choked up and Emily gripped the phone tighter in her hand, she wished that she was there with Hanna to hold her and help her herself.

"Hanna, that's poison, don't think like that."

"But-,"

"No, I won't have it, we'll find Caleb."

"But we haven't found anything...at all."

"Han, have you thought of going to California to take a look at his apartment, maybe he had something going on there that will show up in his apartment."

"I don't know Em; I'm scared, whoever has him, has some pretty scary resources, what if they find out, they'll hurt him, I know it."

"Hanna I don't have any other ideas."

"I don't either but Spencer said the same thing: that I should go to the Silicon Valley and take a look at his apartment, I called his boss and all he said was Caleb emailed him a very peculiar letter and quit just days ago before I called him the first time. I don't know if I should go, it might be a waste and I just don't Em, there's a lot going on here, there's 6 more days until the grand opening of the bakery part of the Brew, and then Caleb and you and ugh, I can't do this."

"Hanna, stop it, yes you can, and you will, and don't worry about me, I'm fine, I've actually managed to make some very interesting friends."

"Ugh, I'm sorry, I'm complaining when I should be the one in there, not you."

"Shhhh! Hanna, these lines are randomly monitored while we're on."

"OH, shit, sorry?"

"It's fine, let's just refrain from bringing anything like that up again, not unless we're in person."

"Alright, deal, so how much time did I leave you?"

Emily laughed and looked at the small digital box above the buttons, "um, 5 minutes and 25 seconds."

"Ooo, look a whole extra 25 seconds, you can fit in like a whole life story in that time."

The best friends laughed and Emily shrugged, "I'm so lucky, I feel like I won the lottery."

"Shutup smartass, so how are you? Is your eye okay now?"

"Um, yeah actually it healed really fast, it's bruised but you can hardly tell from how tan my skin is."

"Perfect, that means you look like a total hot badass, how many of those sex-deprieved women have hit on you?"

"Actually one, but-,"

"Ooo! The blonde?!"

"What? No! No, god no."

"Geez, you make it seem like you hate her or something, I thought she was your knight in shining amor, did something happen?"

"Um-,"

"OMG Em, spill!"

"Hanna, nothing happened, she's kind of my roommate now though."

"Really? Ooo that means you can get all cuddly with her and-,"

"Hanna would you stop, fuck, not everything is like that with every girl I meet, okay?"

There was a longer moment of silence before Hanna cleared her throat, "Yeah, I-I'm sorry."

Emily sighed, frustrated with everything she had swimming in her head, "it's okay Hanna, I'm just a little on edge, Ali is my roommate and the only other person I work with in the library, but she's so...I don't know, she has these weird moods, like she can be really nice and talkative and then the next thing I know she's snapping at me, I don't know, she's a lot to handle, and I just want to know what her deal is."

"Em," Hanna started warningly, "not everyone is keen on you and your antics."

"My antics?"

"Yeah, your antics: you like to get to know everything about a person and you try to fix them, it's not necessarily a bad thing, but I don't think everyone you meet is gonna like that."

"I do that?"

"Sometimes yeah, and it's not bad, it's just because you care and you become so invested in the people you have around you, you cant help it, you try to help everyone before yourself."

"I don't do that."

"Emily, you helped Mrs. Atkins with her groceries and in turn some kids ran to our cart and stole our liquor."

"Okay but that was-,"

"One time? Well what about that time you were late to your own surprise party in college because you told Amber that you'd help her coach her sister's swim team: the mini Dolphins?"

"Okay well, that's hardly meddling."

"No, but it's just, sometimes you can't say no, and you like being the one that helps someone get through whatever it is they're going through and to do that, you have to know them."

Emily sighed and dropped her head to the dull wall beside the phone, "Han, I just, I don't know, she looks scared but angry and fearless and she has these moments when she wants to open up-,"

"And if she needs you to listen, I'm sure she'll tell you, but for now, leave her alone, or whatever, be chill."

"Chill?"

"Yeah, you know, dial back the Fields side of you."

"Ugh, okay I'll try."

"Uh huh...so...,"

"So."

"So if it wasn't the blondie-,"

"Alison."

"Yeah her, if it wasn't Alison who hit on you...then?"

"Hanna." Emily said with a slight laugh in her voice.

"What?"

"Oh, looks like my time is about to expire, I should really go."

"Em, no you liar, wait."

"Haha what?"

"I love you."

"Oh, well, in that case, I love you too duh, you're my sister."

"Yeah, and Em?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"Hanna, what are you talking about, stop it, I told you already."

"I know but still, I miss you, I miss Caleb, I just-,"

"I know Han, I know, we're going to get through this how we've gotten through everything."

"Together."

"Exactly."

"Ugh, I miss you."

"Miss you too, but I'll see you soon right?"

"Yeah of course, I'll be there after the opening night, but call me before then, I'll probably need you before it starts so you can calm me down."

"Alright deal...well I really do have to go Han, talk to you soon, hang in there."

"You too."

"Bye Han."

"Bye Em."

x-x-x-x

x-x-x-x

"Did she buy it?" Spencer asked from the living room couch.

Hanna dropped her head and relaxed her shoulders, "yeah, she did."

"Good, she doesn't need to be any more worried in there than she probably is," Toby stood from the couch and fixed his shirt.

"I feel bad lying though."

Spencer shook her head, "she needs to focus on her in there, staying under the radar and not drawing any more unwanted attention to herself.

Hanna faced the two new 'friends' she had made in such a short amount of time, "isn't this bad for both of you too? Spencer you helping and being a client's friend, isn't that like conflict of interest?"

Spencer squinted, "no technically I was working for Emily, you may have found me, but I represented her, not you."

Hanna shook her head, "okay that seems like someone will buy it, but Toby? For god's sake, you're the cop who arrested us!"

Toby shrugged, "I'm lucky enough to have started at the department with a clean slate, it wasn't the cleanest to begin with."

But the blonde shook her head, "you can get fired or suspended, and we can all go to jail, for like obstriction of justice or something, how can you be helping me?"

"Obstruction," Spencer chimed out.

"What?" Hanna looked at her confused.

"We can go to jail for obstruction of justice."

"Oh my god, see!"

Toby grabbed the blonde's shoulders softly and sat her down, "Spencer told me all about what you've told her, about the kind of friend you are and how Emily is, and I get it, and if she trusts you and wants to help and for me to be there, I'm gonna do it."

"But you don't know me."

"And you don't know me."

Spencer walked over, "you asked for help, why aren't you accepting it?"

"I don't know, it feels too good to be true, what if you're both undercover, just trying to get me thrown in jail?"

"Don't you think we would've done that already?"

"I don't know, but this is just a missing persons, I wouldn't think you'd be so invested to help a stranger and break the law at the same time."

Toby looked at Spencer and they held hands, an almost pained look in their eyes, "let's just say this case, your situation hits very close to home for us."

Hanna looked between the couple and she wondered if something like this happened to them.

"Okay, then."

Spencer and Toby broke they're gaze and smiled lightly at Hanna.

"I'll do it; I'll let you both help me."

"Alright, let's go to California then."

x-x-x-x

x-x-x-x

Emily wandered the halls of the prison, dragging her fingers along the walls occasionally thinking about Hanna and Caleb and what trouble Caleb could've gotten into for someone to demand that kind of money for his release, but what guarantee would there be that Caleb wouldn't be harmed once that happened?

She thought that Hanna should just tell the cops anyways and run the text messages back, maybe do what she had seen in all the crime tv shows: triangulate the signal and get an ip address, something. Weren't those things real?

Em didn't even know where she really was when she started to hear voices, one of them vaguely familiar.

The brunette looked around and seen the silhouette of someone against a grayish fogged glass. Emily stopped and went to turn around until she really did recognize the voice.

"_Jay, I can't do this, she's getting too close, I might tell her and you know I can't."_

"_It might be okay to let someone in."_

Emily was trying to figure out the second voice, but she couldn't place it.

"_I had a nightmare."_

"_What? Recently?"_

"_Yeah, recently, I don't want anyone finding out what happened, you know what will happen if they did. Words spreads like wild fire, it would be a matter of days before he found me. And there's not much I'd be able to do if-,"_

"_That's not going to happen."_

"_You don't know that. He's done it before. If the truth comes out and they put me in the system-,"_

"_I know, but things are different now, and Jonathan told me that he hasn't been around anymore, he didn't even come back after probation ended."_

Emily stared at the door and strained her ears to hear more.

"_Well I need to go before they start looking for me, you go first."_

Emily wanted to dare to stay and see who was talking but when the door handle started to move, she bolted as quietly as she could down the hall in the opposite direction, thinking when she caught her breath, who the hell was Ali in there with?

x-x-x-x

The rest of the day went by alright, Em tried to keep to herself; she wandered a bit, sat in the crafts room with Aria and her friends and tried to be as engaged as they were, but her mind returned to the same person it had been on: Alison.

Questions ran rampant and she kept thinking that it was nothing. That Hanna was right, deep down she just had a desire to know a lot about the people she met. But how could that be true when she was sitting down in front of three new people and she hadn't known so much as all of their last names?

No, Emily was genuinely intrigued, captivated even by the mysterious blonde. She had more sides than what everyone else choose to see, Emily knew Alison was a good person, she could sense it, she just didn't understand why she acted the way she did, she didn't understand why she could tell these things just by talking to her about stacking books, or by looking at her through the shelves, or concerning herself over Alison's nightmares.

Emily was hooked, Alison was a hard book to read, but Em still wanted to know every story, every chapter, she just wanted it all: to know what made her the woman she is, what makes her laugh, cry, smile, what makes her happy and why she ended up here.

Time passed, and Emily found herself running out of nods and 'uh-huh's to mutter back to Aria, Val and Aryn.

"Hey guys, do they let us walk outside at this time?"

Aria looked up, knowing Emily had been distracted all day and shrugged, "I don't think so, no one has ever asked before, but I'm sure you can ask, there's always guards posted by the doors leading outside."

Emily looked up at the clock on the wall and shrugged, "it's only 7:15, there's probably some sunlight left."

Emily took off without a word, wanting badly to find a space where she could think and gather her thoughts, why was she feeling so invested in figuring out all she could about Alison, she had barely known the girl for a few days, it's not like she could be...no, of course not.

x-x-x-x

Emily did successfully find a way outside and she didn't even walk around like she had originally intended, instead she pressed her back against a cold wall and stared out ahead blankly at everything and nothing at the same time.

She didn't really pay attention when she heard the creaking of the door and soft footsteps crunching the earth below.

"Hey."

Emily looked up, "Reyes."

"What are you doing out here?"

Emily looked around and shrugged, "I don't really know, just thinking I guess."

"Ah I see."

"What are you doing out here?"

"The same I guess," he laughed and put his hands into his uniform pants' pockets, "so how you doing?"

"With?"

"Um, everything? Your head...your roommate?"

"My head is fine, it seems to be healing really fast, and my roommate is- why do you want to know?"

Officer Reyes shrugged, "she was the one to 'save' you, and I know you work together, I just wanted to know how you were getting along?"

"Oh, fine I guess."

"So there's no problems?"

"No, why would there be, do I seem like the problematic type?" Emily teased light-heartedly.

"No, not in the slightest."

"Good, because there aren't any problems, 'Officer'."

"Okay, well if there are, you know I can get you a transfer."

"What? Why would I want that?"

"Oh I don't know, just in case you were having problems, I can ask to get you in a new wing, even a new job and-,"

"Reyes, I'm fine really, I don't need you to do that."

Em scrunched her brows and crossed her arms, "did you know I was out here?"

"Um..."

"Yes or no?"

"Yeah."

"How?"

"I asked the Montgomery girl."

"Who?"

"Um, her name is Aria I think? I ran into her in the halls and I've seen you hanging out with her and her friends."

"Oh, yeah I have been, they seem really nice, but why'd you do that?"

"I'm worried about you?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

"Telling."

"Why?"

"I dunno, I just, I consider you my friend, if that is okay with you and I'd hate to see anything bad happen to you."

"That's really sweet of you, but we barely know each other, we met under the weirdest of circumstances and I can tell you now I can handle myself, but I do also appreciate you telling me this."

Em pushed herself off the wall and walked towards the door back inside where it was warm and she could feel her toes.

Officer Joshua Reyes stayed outside and huffed out clouds of his breath, watching it appear in the cold and then disappear. Truth was he wasn't worried too much about Emily, he was more concerned with who Emily was getting herself involved with.

x-x-x-x

Alison walked to the back of the library and sat on the floor against the furthest wall. She had 1 more hour until it was curfew and she had to be in her bed for count. She was dreading going back. Would Emily ask more of her, would she keep insisting upon knowing more? Why?

The blonde reached into a hole in the wall and pulled her personal copy of Great Expectations out, the pages yellowed and browned and dog eared past the point of return. Dickens had great work but this would always be her favorite. No matter what page she would turn onto, she could easily pick up from there and continue to read, and even though the outcome was always the same at the end, she read it like it was always the first time and she had no idea about what would happen with Pip and Estella.

She flipped through the pages and decided to read a few pages before she had to go. Ten minutes came and went and Alison found herself stuck, re-reading the same lines over and over:

"_Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape."_

Alison felt the line was for her, about her, she was the writer and the reader of it. She was broken and bent, she has suffered and learned, she had always hoped for something better...hoping that her heart would mend.

But would it mend into a better shape? Would her new heart have the capacity to let someone else in?

Her past was dark, she felt like a product of it, there was no way she could change what she had become...was there?

x-x-x-x

x-x-x-x

"Hanna! I think I found something!" Spencer called from the small dining table.

Hanna rushed through Caleb's apartment into the living room where Spencer and Toby were sitting over a small computer. It was Caleb's personal computer, not the one that the company had given him.

Toby found it under the floorboards in Caleb's closet and Spencer had been trying to get it open for the past few hours, and they finally had it open and started to look through the last of his activity before he signed off.

"Look at these." Toby stood behind Spencer as Hanna came and sat next to her.

They filtered through the files until Hanna seen something...rather someone she could swear she recognized.

"Oh my god."

_**x-x-x-x**_

_**AN: Ah sorry, I've busy because I've had 4 exams in these past two and a half weeks...and guess what? I've gotten an A on three of them, now I'm just waiting for the last one to come back! Okay, so that's my lame excuse for not updating in a while, it's because I've been studying really hard. Anyways thank you all for your continued support! Love, Lina xoxo**_


	12. Chapter 11

**No One's POV**

"Hanna, you know who that is?" The young lawyer turned around to meet the shocked expression on the blonde's face.

"Not exactly but I do know where to find him."

x-x-x-x

Emily woke up again that night to the quiet whimpering she had heard before. It took moments before she realized who it was coming from and her initial reaction was to get up, which she did, but when she got closer to the blonde, she cringed internally, remembering the reaction she received the last time she tried to help.

Conflicted, Emily stood frozen in place, crouched low enough to see the wrinkle in between Alison's brows, and she couldn't decide what to do. She could try again and face the same shunning she got before or crawl back into bed and pretend she didn't hear anything...but that would mean she would have to pretend not to care.

Sighing slowly, Em took one more step towards Alison and reached her hand out to gently shake her awake but before she could, Alison started to talk in her sleep.

"Michael no, please no no no!"

All of Emily's muscles tensed and she snapped her head up, worried about if the others in the block heard or not. She didn't want to see what they would all say or do if their sleep was disturbed and by Alison nonetheless, she knew no one liked the blonde...why? That was still a mystery.

"Ali," Em whisper-yelled, "Alison, it's okay, wake up please."

The blonde thrashed and upon the contact Em's hand made with her shoulder, Ali practically screamed, "JR help! No no no."

Emily pulled her hand back like it was on fire and she started to panic, "Alison please, people will hear you." Em tried again and this time when Alison felt the hand on her, her eyes shot wide open and she sat up, pushing her back into the cold stone wall behind her, knees to chest and her hands outstretched in defense, "please."

The look in her blue eyes was no longer filled with whimsy and mystery. No, instead the brightness was replaced with pure fear; Alison's cerulean orbs were shattered like a blue mosaic piece, no longer the same calming sea Emily had grown to admire.

The brunette stood, mouth agape, searching Alison's eyes to make sure she was awake this time.

"Alison, it's okay, it's just me."

Alison's chest heaved twice as hard and Emily's rising and falling to no regular pattern, her hands now clenched into fists so hard that her knuckles appeared white in the pale light of their 'room'.

Emily was afraid to touch her; afraid it would obliterate the safety net she was trying to form. So instead, Emily dropped to her knees by the side of the bed and put her hands up, "Alison, I'm not going to hurt you, you can trust me okay? I just, I wanted to make sure you were okay, I didn't mean to-,"

But her words were swallowed as a pale hand came to cover her mouth gently.

Alison looked up into warm brown eyes and shook her head, "not here." The blonde's eyes were still widened in fear and Emily couldn't ignore the trembling in the hand that covered her mouth.

Em nodded and once Alison searched her eyes again, she lowered her hand and started to get up from her bed. When she was by the entryway, Emily was still on the floor, her eyes glued securely on the blonde, it wasn't until she finally blinked that she realized Alison was not in front of her again.

Looking up, all Emily seen was the soft silhouette of Alison's figure and the light that caught her hand sas she brought a single finger to her own lips, indicating for Emily to be quiet.

Emily got up as silently as she could, not bothering to put on shoes. Her feet were cold, the thin socks doing nothing to protect her from the frozen concrete floor she padded over behind Alison. The blonde stayed close to the walls, probably to stay away from the cameras as much as she could, the hallways too dimly lit for them to stand out that much anyways.

Em fought the urge over and over to ask where they were going, staying quiet as long as she could. She had no clue where they were going, what Alison's intentions were, but she wasn't going to ruin her chance of finding out by opening her mouth. She was curious as hell, but she refrained.

It seemed like ten minutes or thirty, nonetheless when Alison stopped in front of a door, Emily was surprised when she realized where they were. Somehow, Alison had taken the long way around the grounds and they ended up at the library.

Alison looked over her shoulder smiled weakly, reaching around her neck to pull out a long chain with a key on it. Checking the corridor around her that it was free of guards, Alison used the key she had stored around her neck to open the door, sighing in relief when it opened quietly because she half expected it to creak loudly and give them away.

When Emily was in, Alison turned to shut the door and tucked the key back into her shirt.

"This way."

Emily followed as closely as she could in the dark, cursing under her breath when she stubbed her toe and again when she bumped her shoulder into a book shelf.

"Shit," she said when she bumped into a form in front of her, "sorry," she lowered her voice, apologizing to Alison as she curled her now two-time stubbed toe to stall the throbbing. Her toes were half numb in the frigid cold anyways, but it still hurt.

Em followed Alison further into the back of the library where they worked, expecting to stop in the back at one of the few tables but was increasingly confused when Alison stopped near one and looked up, searching for something she didn't know. Em stood watching the smaller girl start to push at the table until it started to move the way she wanted her eyes still fixed on something unknown above her.

"Alison, what are you-,"

"Shhh," Alison didn't spit it out, rather coaxed Emily into silence again.

Emily walked closer and looked up where Ali's eyes were fixed and she wiped at them to make sure she didn't have dust in them, "is that a...," she closed her mouth and looked to Alison who nodded, "it's an attic," she confirmed and started to climb on the table, reaching as far as she cold until her fingertips could barely manage to feel out the outline of the attic door where she pushed on her tiptoes harder until she could squeeze her fingers in between the crack and pull the old door down.

It creaked with a high-pitched squeal and Ali paused, looking behind her towards the door. After a few breaths, she did it again and paused when it was half way open.

Em searched in the dark for why Alison stopped and walked closer when made the realization that Ali didn't want the ladder coming down loudly. So the tall brunette walked until she was under the door and nodded for Ali to open it further, readying herself to catch the ladder as it slid down, not knowing how fast or how heavy it would be.

"Damn," she grunted when the heavy splintered wood hit her palms, watching Ali's eyes bug out slightly. It was difficult for Emily to believe what she saw, but she could've sworn Alison looked concerned.

When Em gave her best smile and waved her hand in an 'okay,' Ali climbed down from the table and proceeded up the ladder.

"Um," Ali paused looking down at the ground rather than meeting Emily's eyes, "be careful, it's really dark up here at first."

Em was shocked and flattered at the same time, still too afraid of saying anything too loud or even offensive to the other young woman in front of her.

"Okay, uh, thanks."

Em took a step back and let Alison lead the way. No more than a minute later Emily found herself on all fours climbing through the darkness in an attic in a library at the Rosewood prison. Now that was something she would never in a million years imagine for herself, yet here she was doing exactly that.

"Alison?" Em called when she stopped hearing the shuffle of Alison's knees against the wooden floor. She opened her eyes wider, but it was pitch black, she couldn't see anything, she could barely make out the outline of the door in the floor she just crawled through.

"Hold on," it was so quiet that Em barely heard, but she stayed still and silent, waiting for...well she didn't know.

"Dammit," Ali grunted and then a quiet smacking sound of...plastic? against skin was heard.

A few more slaps and a light erupted from a small flashlight in Ali's hand. Em had to squint and allow her eyes the time to adjust, but when they did, she almost laughed at where she was...she was crawling on the floor when there was ample amount of space to stand and as she peered through the dimly illuminated space, she realized it looked like a small living room of sorts.

No more than 100 sq ft, the room was filled with a small couch, a single chair, small table pushed against one wall and on the floor there were several opened books and written-on papers, to Emily it looked like someone was living there: like this definitely wasn't Alison's first time up there.

Em stood and walked towards the chair, running her fingers along the back and she swallowed, still not knowing what she was doing there, or why Alison took her along. She had so many questions, like who was Michael, who was Jay, what was Ali so afraid of? Why is everyone afraid of her and what did she do to get in this place?

Suddenly the small room seemed to feel even more crowded when Alison took a few steps forward and sat on the small two seated couch. Emily felt her presence even before she seen her approaching and found the muscles in her back tensing.

The silence soon became awkward, the weird tension palpable between them. She tried to clear her throat but her airways seemed even too tight to do that. Thankfully, Alison cleared hers and it demanded Emily's attention, which she gave easily.

"Uh, I think you should sit." Alison's voice was missing that confidence that Emily heard all the times before.

Em nodded and before she turned to lower herself into the chair, Ali popped up and gently pushed Emily away from sitting on it, "No!"

Confused, Em looked at the chair to make sure that she wasn't about to crush something of value if she were to sit.

"I'm sorry," Ali gathered her hands into her pants' pockets and shook her head, "it's just, that chair isn't sturdy, I almost broke it trying to sit on it, "I should've said something sooner."

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't know, thank you from saving me from falling on my butt. That would've been embarrassing."

"And we would've got caught." Alison huffed and sat on the couch again, this time pointing the flashlight at her shoeless feet.

Em looked around only to confirm what she already knew...the only seat left was right next to Alison. She hesitated, but her fear was misplaced, and hypocritical, she couldn't act like everyone else does, too afraid to sit or look or talk to Alison. So Em lowered herself on the couch slowly, her weight sinking into the old cushion until it couldn't anymore.

"So," both girls started, laughing nervously that they had both spoke at the same time.

Em decided to let Alison regain control here and start the conversation, but when no words were spoken, she successfully cleared her throat this time and asked, "Alison, why did you bring me here?"

Neither young women could meet the other's eyes, so Em stared at what she could make out of her hands in her lap while Alison's blue orbs stayed fixed on her feet, "I don't, I'm not even sure."

There it was again, Emily thought, that slight waiver in her voice, the uncertainty...it was out of what Emily considered Alison's 'character,' but there was a certain softness, innocence even, that she enjoyed hearing.

"Okay, then," Em sighed, rubbing her hands over her knees, "what is this place?"

"It's an attic." The dry undertone couldn't be mistaken and a suffen flash of frustration came over Emily, Alison had no right to play games with her and she was tired of the blonde switching up her moods at random.

"Okay," Emily tried, "how did you find it?"

Alison looked over at the side of Emily's face and she shrugged, "I just did, I was stacking books when I looked up and noticed that there was a door."

"And the key?"

"I stole it from Harris, he used to work here. I stole it and ever since I've been here, I come up at least one every other week."

"What for?"

Emily's chocolate brown eyes scanned the floor and she wondered if the papers were written on by Alison.

"I don't know, I just like being in here, thinking, away from everyone else. I don't know, it's private, I miss privacy."

"Well, if you like your privacy so much, why am I here?"

Alison could hear the growing frustration in Emily's voice and she took a few deep breaths, why did she think this was going to be okay? Why did she think she was ready to open up.

"I thought you might want to be here."

"For what?" Emily searched out bright blue eyes but they were hidden under eyelids and thick lashes.

Alison brushed a long strand of golden hair behind her ear and closed her eyes, answering softly, "to get your answers."

"Answers?"

"You want to know right?" Em didn't even have the chance to answer for herself when Ali continued, "you want to know what my story is...," this time it wasn't a question, yet she gave an answer, "well then I'll tell you."

Em thought she also might have to clean her ears, "what?"

"I will Emily, it doesn't seem like you're going to leave me alone anytime soon and I think I can trust you, I want to."

"Wh-why? I mean I'm flattered, I just want to know, why?"

Alison seemed to be measuring her breaths, taking 3 seconds to breathe in and 3 out. On the second, she opened her once closed eyes and looked at Emily.

"I don't know Emily, is there I reason I shouldn't trust you?"

Emily eyes darted between each one of Alison's and she shook her head, "n-no. No, you can trust me."

Alison kept her gaze trained on Emily's face, waiting to see if there were any indications that the brunette was lying.

"Emily, I'm just tired...tired of trusting people and being hurt in the end, but I'm even more tired of pushing everyone else away, of keeping up this act in here for so long. Do you understand?"

Em merely nodded, "I do."

"Good, at first I thought you were annoying, you just wanted to know everything, your sentence was short and you probably just wanted some entertainment."

"No that's not at all what I-,"

"I know," Alison stopped the ramble that she believed was coming. "I know, I can tell."

"Alison just tell me why you-,"

"I like you Emily." She blurted it out and Em's body froze, her breath hitched and she sat up straighter.

"What do you mean?"

Alison half laughed and tore her eyes away from the shocked one she was faced with, choosing to somewhat ignore Emily's question, instead, answering with questions of her own, "do you know how it feels to pretend to be someone you're not? To do it and be so miserable? Pretend to be something you know deep down isn't you just to make someone else happy, someone we love?," Alison seemed to be reflecting and Emily tried to imagine what the troubled blonde was referring to, "I've done that my whole life Emily Fields, can you imagine what that feels like?"

It was Emily's turn to laugh yet she didn't take it. Of course she knew, she knew exactly what it felt like.

"Alison, I don't need to imagine. I know exactly what that feels like."

"You do? How? How could you possibly know?"

"Are you kidding me?" Emily did laugh this time, "I'm gay. For crying out loud I'm gay, and my parents were the definition of a perfect American family, living the American dream, following their strict morals, serving the country in the police department and the Army. When I realized what I was- who I was, I couldn't tell them. No, their cookie cutter daughter couldn't like girls, it would be wrong."

Alison felt bad for scoffing earlier, truly believing the woman in front of her had a life as well put together and perfect as herself, but as she has learned over and over again, you really can't judge a book by its cover.

"Emily, I-,"

"For years Alison," Emily cut her off this time, feeling she needed to say everything she felt like so her point was made, "I pretended that I wasn't secretly crushing on one of my friends, I pretended to like dating the head jock at my school, and every day I said good morning to my parents, I was lying to them, I was the lie; the daughter they seen in their eyes was not the same person I seen in the mirror, so if you really want to know if I can imagine, the answer is yes, and that is how, because I lived it for years...wishing, hoping it was all in my imagination instead so I wouldn't ruin our family name, or be shunned by my own parents."

She spoke louder than she probably should have but she didn't really care, it was true. Looking up from her rant, Emily saw a shift, even in the poorly lit room, she noticed a shade change in Alison's eyes. From a bitter icy blue to a mellower one, softer, more open.

"I'm sorry Emily, I didn't know."

"I know you didn't it's okay."

"I just, I've pretended to be just like my mom so I could make her happy, I grew up a bitter person, I was never nice in school, I held my head high and I stepped on anyone else I thought was in my way."

"So what they say about you here is true?"

"About me being a bitch? Maybe, but I haven't even spoken to anyone here, and then people make rumors about why I'm here and now I'm stuck again, keeping up this game of charades."

"Again?"

"Yes, again."

"Alison-,"

"Emily, I want to tell you my story, you say I can trust you, so I will. I do."

"Why are you doing this?"

"The truth?"

"Nothing less."

Alison's shoulders slumped and she smiled lightly, "because you're the first person who's even shown me some genuine decency around her and because...because I'm tired of being alone."

Emily smiled and swallowed hard, reaching her hand cautiously to rest atop Alison's, "Alison, I...care, about you. And I thank you for everything you've done for me since I've been here, and I want to know you better."

"But? God, there's always a butt, maybe you should go and we can forget-,"

"No, it's not bad, I just don't want to rush anything, you telling me you like me is a surprise, a good surprise, but I want you to know, that I hope you don't expect me to say anything back, I mean we've barely known each other for but a week, okay?"

Alison sighed, "I wasn't expecting anything, I was just scared. The last time I put my heart out there, well, it's the reason I'm here. The reason I started to become so emotionally detached and cold."

"What's changed?"

"You," and when Alison said it, Emily drew her hand back and Alison, she immediately regretted saying that, "no not like that! I mean you came and you were-are nice and you don't seem to care what everyone else thinks, it's a little dangerous but you've given me some hope."

"For?"

"Hope that not everyone in this world is as bad as all the people I've had in my life so far."

"Well, I won't prove you wrong on that."

Both women exchanged smiles and when the silence fell, Emily could feel it again: that heavy tension weighing in on them.

"Emily, my past is dark, you might not like what you hear, so if you feel like you've heard enough and you want to go, I get it, no hard feelings."

Em turned her body to face Alison a little better and grabbed Alison's hand that was holding the flashlight, turning her wrist over in her hands, "this," she lifted their joined hands, "will be for your past then," and when she let go, she sat back against the arm rest and rested her hands in her lap, "as for me, this scrappy couch is waaaaay more comfortable than those damn boxes, they call mattresses."

"Thanks, glad to know that's what's keeping you here."

"Well that, and I think I care about you, I don't know why, and why so soon, but-,"

"It's okay, I get it."

"So...," Em trailed looking up in the darkness at the nothingness.

"I guess I should start with the beginning?"

"Chapter 1...unless there's a prologue?"

"No," Ali laughed quietly and shook her head, "chapter one it is."

x-x-x-x

"Hanna, please explain what you're doing?" Hanna was flipping through everything more rapidly, sending papers flying all over the place.

"We have to hurry, find everything that you think is evidence and get ready to go back home."

"Okay, well first, why don't you tell us what's going on?" Toby stood from the computer and when Hanna met his eyes and then the rest of his body, she stopped abruptly and stood straight up. Toby was no longer dressed all in his Rosewood uniform anymore, but his stance and posture reminded Hanna of his profession.

"I-um, I-can't."

"What do you mean Hanna, we came out here for you, so I think you can."

"No, you don't understand Spencer, I can't."

"Actually," Toby took a step closer to the blonde and crossed his arms, "I've known Spencer for a really long time and she's really smart, so I think she can understand."

Hanna huffed and swallowed, there might be the slightest chance that Toby knew who the man in the picture was and she wasn't going to risk finding Caleb by opening her mouth now.

"Actually, like I told Spencer, if I talk to the cops, the person who has Caleb will hurt him."

"So what you're saying is you _can_ tell, but you just can't tell _me_?"

Hanna nodded, hoping that it would work.

Toby raised an eyebrow and met Spencer's eyes, "is she telling the truth?"

Spencer nodded her head, "this person is extremely evasive and serious, I've seen the threats," she lied and half smiled, "please, Toby, just give a few minutes?"

"Okay," he huffed, uncrossing his arms and throwing them in the air, "fine, I'll be in his room, looking for something we might've missed."

When Toby left the room and Hanna was sure he was out of eavesdropping range, she sighed heavily.

"Hanna what was all that about? Is the kidnapper sending you threats? I told you if they did to show us immediately so we could get it on record."

"Sh, no Spencer, I haven't gotten anything from them, him, her, it or whatever." She sighed and walked over to the couch where the computer was, joining Spencer at her side.

"Then what was all that? Why didn't you just say what you had to say in front of us both, I told you Toby is a good guy."

"I know you did, but what's that saying? I'm stuck under a rock in a hard place?"

The tall brunette laughed, "not quite, it's stuck between a rock and a hard place."

"Either way, that's how I feel."

"Why? You say you know who," Spencer paused to bring the screen to life and the same image as before appeared, a fuzzy picture of a man in a hooded jacket, "this man is, why can't you tell us?"

Only part of his profile could be seen but whoever it was recognizable to Hanna.

"I don't know why Caleb would have a picture of him, but that guy is a cop."

"Okay so?"

"In Rosewood."

Spencer was extremely intuitive, so it was easy for her to draw the lines between the points Hanna was making.

"And Toby might know him."

"Yeah exactly, I know you said I can trust you and I do and you said I can trust Toby and up until now, I have. I just don't want to risk finding out this guy is involved if I tell Toby. They can be friends, and even if they're not, I don't think your boyfriend would like me making assumptions or accusations about one of his brothers in blue."

"Accusations? You have something to accuse him for already?"

"No, but we're about to find out."

"Hanna, Toby could help."

"He's helping me by not knowing, that gives me time to find anything that might make this guy a bad guy, if not then I will tell him. But if word gets out that I'm onto something, and then Rosewood PD finds out, something could happen to Caleb."

"Okay, fine, but I say we give it 48 hours from when we land to find any more dirt that we can."

"Okay, deal."

"After that, we either question this guy or leave him alone and focus on gathering anything else up from this computer."

"Fine, go get Toby, I booked us a flight in two hours."

"Alright boss, it's your case." Spencer squeezed Hanna's shoulder gently but before she could get up to get Toby, the cop came jogging from Caleb's room holding a big manila folder.

"Guys, I found something."

He stopped at the kitchen counter and opened the top, pouring the contents out and spreading them around.

Spencer joined his side and looked at everything, naming the contents as she saw them, "what the hell is this? Receipts, transactions, phone call records, messages, e-mails?" Spencer held up and glossy paper and realized it was a picture.

Her eyebrows scrunched the same time Hanna's did and Spencer handed the picture over, "what kind of work did you say Caleb did again?"

Hanna's eyes fell on the picture and she shrugged, "I don't know who these people are, or why Caleb has pictures of them."

"Um, Spence," Toby tapped her shoulder, "I know you say the cops can't get involved, or else something bad could happen but...,"

"But what?" Hanna swallowed, nervous.

"I have a name."

x-x-x-x


	13. Chapter 12

"Ali," Em whispered softly, "you're not saying anything." The brunette waited for more words to spill from Alison's mouth.

Alison shook her head as if to shake away the trance she was in, "I'm sorry, I just, I don't know how to start."

"Just...um, close your eyes and think of anything; like something you feel like you can hold on to and start there, fill it in as you go."

Alison took another deep breath and then an idea came to her, "I've got it."

She stood walked a few steps ahead and crouched down to pick a dusty book off of the floor.

"Dickens?"

"Yeah," Ali smiled and sat down, "so I'm changing a word, but there is a quote I remember that I think...fits, to say the least."

Emily simply smiled, encouraging Alison to go on. She sensed the heaviness of the situation, that Alison was hurt before and it changed her and it was taking a lot in her to open up now to a practical stranger. Emily felt incredibly important in that moment, that she was able to make someone probably so scarred open up old wounds again.

And this time when Alison spoke, her eyes were closed:

"_Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what my heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape."_

Emily knew a lot about Great Expectations, so she definitely recognized the quote. She sat staring over what she could make of Alison's facial features from the dying light of the flashlight and she smiled sadly, her heart felt heavy in her chest, filled with sympathy for the blonde, making it harder to look away once Alison opened her eyes again.

"Emily I grew up in California, it's always sunny where I lived but my whole life all I've remembered was pain and deceit and something dark in the people around me. Chapter one isn't really a chapter so much as a summarization of me, who I am and why. Since I was young, my mother taught me to be ruthless, how to tell a lie and how to keep one a secret, how to manipulate them to get what I want even if that meant hurting someone else. I learned how to use people's secrets against them and make them fear me. That was my life, and I didn't question it, I was afraid to, but I know I didn't want it. I didn't want to become her, but I was good at being bad, and I hardly got hurt so I felt safe behind my bitterness.

"My mom was all I had really. She worked from home and didn't really pay any attention to my older brother Jason, as soon as he turned 18 he left and no one stopped him, he didn't even tell me goodbye. And I tried not to be like my mom, but she told me I was all she had, she needed me to stay sane. She played me, gave me the pathetic story about how no one wants her company, even my dad. He was a politician and was always working; I hardly even remember what that man looks like. I was young, I loved my mother, so of course I did what she asked me to, I was who she wanted me to be, I thought I was being a good daughter, not realizing I was turning into a rotten person for it.

"Still, I had dreams, I had a plan. When I turned 18, I wanted to move out, go to college somewhere far where fall looked like fall and it got cold enough to stay in some winter nights bundled into a blanket with a good book and even better company. That turned out to be all it started as...just a dream.

"My parents didn't let me apply to a college any more than 50 miles away and who was I to go against that, I was young, I didn't have a job, no money and no plan B, so I stayed in town and I went to a local community college. I started studying English and Education. When I turned 20 I had saved up enough to leave and go to an actual university in Michigan but again, my parents had other plans.

"My dad was trying to run for mayor and one of his biggest supporters who also happened to have one of the deepest wallets in town was the city's police department director and his wife was a CEO for . Before I decide to leave, he got invited to a dinner at this fancy bar, and my dad knew if he was going to get any financial support for his campaign, he would have to go to it. We were all invited as a family, so I thought it would be nice to go out with my parents for once before I left."

Emily sat, completely captivated by the blonde before her, everything about the way she told her story made Emily feel closer to her and although Alison had said her past was dark, Emily could see a bright soul; only it was trapped in her past.

"So we all got dressed up and met the Richards family that night. Little did I know, that was when my nightmare would start." Alison closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, dampening her nerves before she continued.

"So I went and it was nice, no, who am I kidding, it was boring as hell. I excuse myself and sat at the bar, just the talk about politics and campaign tactics, it was too much for me to sit and nod and smile like I knew what the hell was going on, much less give a damn.

"I was only 20, underage still, so I just sat at the bar for a while, staring at the ridiculously expensive counter and the buttoned up men and snobby women and I waited for the dinner to end. It wasn't until someone actually approached me to offer me a drink that I started getting some attention from the older single men in suits and ugly ties. I hated it but I made the choice to just turn them all down until it was over.

"That's when Michael came in. I didn't see him at first but he was a force to be reckoned with, when he walked in, you could almost feel his energy, he commanded the space around him and I was no different. He was tall, somewhat handsome I guess and he seen me looking at him. That was the first mistake I wish I didn't make. When he looked at me, he smiled this half-crooked smile and walked straight towards me."

Emily knitted her brows and watched the way Ali would run the palms of her hands methodically over the fabric of her pants, pressing the heel of her palms into her thighs when she was done. She did that over and over, it was like a calming mechanism and Emily felt herself draw anger towards this Michael person.

"He came and sat right next to me, ordered two different drinks and insisted that I have a drink with him. I wanted to say no, but he wouldn't talk it. Michael never takes no for an answer," Alison reflected and felt a cold shiver run down her spine, "so I agreed, I drank with him and he started talking, about everything. I thought he was charming. All we exchanged were first names and stories about our past and plans about of futures. He thought it was ridiculous to leave California, he said that all I'd ever need was right in front of me."

Em caught on the double meaning and she questioned if hearing this was the best idea.

"Alison, if you don't want to talk about it, you don't," Emily offered sweetly but Alison rejected.

"Don't be foolish Emily, I can't stop now. You want to know what happened next?" Alison paused, although it was a rhetorical question.

"Emily, he left after hours of just talking about whatever, I let him know me, my name, where I was from, who my parents were and what they did, I told him my plan all after just a few drinks. I thought it was fun, I was passing the time, it wouldn't cost me anything. But nothing is free Emily, and by the end of the night, I knew nothing about him, except he was ambitious, confident, charming and he made me laugh, and I liked that."

Alison tilted her head back in a mocking laugh, "I didn't even see him great his parents, who just so happened to be there, on the way in or out. But my plan was still set: I wanted to leave the next week to Michigan. Only I didn't. The next day, my dad gets a phone call from Mr. Richards. He wanted to donate over a million dollars towards the campaign for my dad's running for office. Great news, right?

"No," she answered herself, "not for everyone because like all deals that sound too good to be true, it was. There was a catch, there always is, and it was me. I was the catch. Turns out the older man I met the night before was Michael Richards, the son to my dad's biggest would-be supporter. Well, where's the twist, why is that bad?

"In order for my dad to get his hands on that money, I had to stay in town, seems like Michael was keen on seeing me again and he told his daddy just how to do that. I was flattered but Michael was just one man, I barely knew him. I tried to leave but my parents...they wouldn't let me. My dad promised I could leave once the election was over. I pushed off going to a real university for him, I was convinced I would only miss one semester.

"Of course I was bitter, I hated Michael for it, he was 26 and I was only 20, he could have had anyone else in there...but his family had power and I knew if they wanted to ruin mine, they would. I had to protect the little family I did have, no matter how sad and pathetic and cruel they were. I made that sacrifice...I didn't know that 6 years later I would have paid more than just one semester at Michigan State."

Emily couldn't meet Alison's face but her voice wasn't as paralyzed, "what happened next?"

"It sounds cliché, I know, but I fell for him. I was so used to being treated like garbage and a puppet that I mistook his possessiveness about me for love. I thought him buying me things was to show that I was worth it, but no, he was just burying me in gifts so I wouldn't dig my way out...and I was shallow enough to fall for it. I thought I was free finally, but I was thrown under someone else's control."

"What about when the election was over?"

"I couldn't leave, Michael told me he loved me, I could be his wife one day, I didn't need to leave to be happy. And damn it, I believed him, I let him be my first Emily," Alison couldn't hide the single tear that slid down her face. "I let him be there for me, I let him think and make decisions because it was easier if I didn't have to. My parents were ecstatic, they started treating me like an actual daughter and I thought it would never get anywhere better: the grass was greener on my side. I didn't have a reason to leave."

"Alison," Emily played with the pockets of her pants, "how did you get in here?"

Alison swallowed and rubbed her hands against her pants again, taking a few deep breaths to compose herself, something that Emily noticed she had to do a lot.

"I took a part-time job waiting tables and volunteering at the elementary school as a tutor. Michael, well, he decided to join the task force, he trained and he told me he was going to run everything one day, that we'd be set for life once he made it to the top, his dad would make sure of it. Only thing was, he couldn't pass his tests, he had a history with smoking and his health wasn't where it should've been. Of course that didn't stop him. With the convenient help of his father and 2 and a half years later he was in the running for becoming the director of the OCPD.

"His arrogance must've got to him because after that, something in him changed. I thought maybe he was just stressed you know, but then he turned mean, and he stopped coming home on time...to the place he bought us. He clothes started to small like cheap bars and someone else's perfume. I was in denial because he had been so good to me. But I wasn't happy anymore, I started to realize that I had plans once too. I remembered I wanted more than just making Michael look good, being there when it was most convenient for him.

"The first time I tried to leave, I asked my parents for some money for a plane ticket, they laughed in my face and they thought I was losing my mind. My mother's exact words were: you're never going to find anyone better, don't ruin your life by going after some childish dream. My dream was childish. I even told Michael I was getting tired but he begged me to stay, he said he's change, it was just how busy he was at work and all the pressure his dad was putting on him.

"I should've seen his lies in those beady little eyes of his, but he promised he would get better, he used that word again, he said he loved me. And when I asked about the late nights at bars, he looked me in the eyes and said my skin was the only one he ever touched." Alison's jaw clenched and angry tears of betrayal flooded her eyes, just a blink of an eye from spilling over onto her pale skin.

"I let him in again Emily, I was naïve and I trusted him...that was until I found phone in his pants one night that I was doing the laundry. Maybe it was wrong of me to do it, but I looked through his phone," Alison's voice hitched in her throat and she tilted her head back, making sure she wouldn't let herself cry over him anymore, "and I found a number he was calling frequently late at night and I knew I couldn't ignore it anymore. But how could I bring this up to his face? Maybe the number wasn't enough. What I did next is the reason I'm here."

x-x-x-x

"Caleb Rivers," a man's voice spoke softly through muffled speakers and Caleb looked up. He had little memory of what had happened, but waking up with bright lights shining in his face wasn't ideal to the incessant throbbing he had all over his face and head.

"Ugh," he groaned, trying to move but wincing once he felt some cold metal cutting through the skin of his wrists. He twisted his wrists and the cold metal was soon met with his warm blood. He was cuffed to a chair and that was all he knew.

"Why, Mr. Rivers I've had fun learning all about you, watching your, what? Soon to be wife right? That's probably my favorite part, robbing you of what could be, just like me, and I'd love to see her happy, she's a beautiful woman, but you see, she isn't playing by my rules, so I think I'm going to have to make sure she listens. After all, she's my revenge on you...an eye for an eye, if you will."

Caleb's body tensed painfully upon hearing whoever held him captive threaten Hanna, the unknown voice continuing to echo in his head.

"Leaveheralone," It came out strained and muffled into one word.

"I' m sorry, I think the gag you're choking on might be a little tight. Wait one moment."

Caleb turned his head around, trying to see passed the blinding white lights, but he couldn't; all he could do was sit in what he assumed was a room with broken speakers and white lights and pray that whoever was coming was done torturing him. His muscles ached everywhere, he was hungry, thirsty and cold.

He forgot about that when a door behind him opened and it creaked loudly, slamming just as loudly shut. The sound of big heavy boots were getting closer until he felt a rough hand grab his hair and yank his head back painfully.

"Oh c'mon Caleb, why don't you smile for Hanna? She's gonna love this."

It was the last thing he heard before the red blinking light of a camera was turned on and hard fist came down across his jaw again, and once again, the lights were out.

x-x-x-x

"What did you do Ali?"

"I pretended I never found his phone when he asked for it," Ali laughed at the memory although nothing she said was really that amusing, "I wanted to do my own snooping, I heard there was a way to see old deleted messages and track where phone numbers were from, but I didn't know how to do any of that, I didn't know how to find someone like that. Anyways, I was close to this woman at the dinner, she was in an abusive relationship before and she told me she could tell I was getting tired with Michael. I tried to deny it but she pushed me, and I was tried, I was so tired of pleasing him and my parents and pretending I was truly happy."

Emily closed her own eyes recalling the years she spent lying to her parents, forcing herself to think her feelings for girls was wrong like they believed, going along with all their beliefs just to make them happy. She was miserable and could only imagine doing in it a relationship where she was potentially too afraid to leave.

Alison's voice wavered but Emily couldn't deny the strength she heard, "I knew I could trust her so I told her everything, her name was Abigail Reyes, and she said her younger brother was a security guard at some tech company."

"Reyes?" Emily didn't mean to say it out loud, but she started to make the connection, if there was to be made, "Reyes, as in-,"

Ali nodded, "as in Officer Joshua Reyes, yes."

"Alison you know him personally?"

"Emily, he helped me escape."

Emily knitted her brows and didn't want to reveal she had been somewhat spying, but she couldn't refrain, "the other day, you were in some closet with a guard, talking about-,"

"Yes Emily, that was him."

Em huffed and sat back in her chair, "holy crap."

Alison sighed, "yeah, I know."

"If you're both from California, what are you both doing here?"

"Josh is a nice guy, when I met him he was more than willing to help me. He said he even knew Michael, met him just a few months ago."

"Small world isn't it?"

Ali nodded, "too small. Reyes was also trying to become a cop and he thought Michael was an asshole he just didn't know how much. I don't know how and why he decided to help me, but Josh said he had met a new guy in the building, he was in charge of writing software and was in charge of the security measures the company needed, they flew him all the way from somewhere out east, close to here I think and apparently he helped Reyes crack into his ex-girlfriend's phone and see that she had been stealing money from him for a whole year. He promised he would talk to this guy for me."

Emily didn't want to jump to any conclusions too soon but that sounded awful familiar to her.

"Alison, did this guy help you?"

"Yeah, he was amazing, I gave him Michael's phone and he was able to uncover old messages, emails, pictures even," Ali said with disgust, "he gave me everything I needed to finally pack my shit and leave, only Michael didn't believe it was enough."

"What do you mean?"

It took Alison the longest to go over what happened that night but she did, not daring to address the tears she shed or the ones that Emily had either, she hated it, wished she could erase it from her memory but she couldn't.

"Alison, is that the reason?"

"For what?"

Em felt like she was walking on eggshells, "the reason you have the nightmares? It's him right?"

Alison didn't have to say anything, her silence was answer enough.

"Nightmare, memory, bad dream, reality...they're all the same for me in the end Emily."

"It doesn't have to be that way Alison."

"But it is, and the one time I thought I could wake up from it, landed me here. That next morning, he acted like the night before never happened, he sat in the living room and told me to make him breakfast. And I did, I figured after that he would shower and I could get away. I wanted to leave the night before and just drive around to clear my head. The plan was to meet Josh in the morning and he would take to the airport. And I almost did it too.

"Except I forgot that Michael had my phone, and I didn't realize how late it was already. So Josh texted me. Michael read it out loud, 'Alison,'," Ali started, mocking his deep voice the best he could, "you're friend JR wants to know, 'hey are you on your way? Flight leaves soon.' Hmm that's funny, you didn't mention you were going anywhere.' I tried to lie and say it was probably sent to the wrong person. As good of a liar my mother had made me, I couldn't even lie to save my life.

"So he came to the kitchen and grabbed me by the shoulders hard, he shook me, waiting. I couldn't make the words come out so he raised his fist again..."

Emily closed her eyes, pain in her heart weighing her down, she felt little and ignorant, she would never have guessed that this was Alison's story, that the confidence she showed everyone around her was fragile and built as a defense mechanism, nothing more.

"I couldn't take it Emily, I didn't want to hurt again, so I," she choked on her words and Emily could see the shaking in her hands. When she reached to calm the blonde, the contact made Alison jump, startling them both.

"I grabbed the knife on the counter just to make him back away. It worked at first, but he's big Emily, stronger than me, and it happened so fast." She was getting hysterical and Emily wasn't sure what she should do. It pained her seeing Alison relive this.

"Alison, you could've spared telling me everything, I don't know that I can sit here and watch you do this to yourself, I had no idea that-,"

"That what? That it would be like this for me? What did you think?"

"I didn't think anything at all. I just wanted to understand you."

"This the only way how Emily! I don't know how else to act around you if I don't. I don't want it to be my excuse but at least you can stop looking at me like I'm the Sunday crossword puzzle."

"I don't look at you like that."

"You do, and I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about it, for Christ's sake we've barely met but I can't stop thinking about you and hoping that somehow, someway, you're supposed to fix it."

"Fix what? I'm nobody Alison."

"Fix me. Fix me. Fix me." Ali rocked herself back and forth running her hands on her legs again as he eyes glazed over and she closed her eyes, "make it stop, please make it stop!" The last outburst was loud and Emily had to remind herself where they were.

"Shhh, shhh, it's okay," Emily quickly scooted herself over and wrapped her arm across the blonde's shoulders.

"You're not broken Alison."

"Yes I am, my soul, my heart, it's been shattered, I don't know how to feel anything anymore."

"Feel this." Em reached her free hand across her own body and covered both of the trembling ones in hers, "it's not ideal where we are, but you're safe."

"I'm never safe, not while he's alive."

"Alison, you're far from California, I doubt he-,"

"I stabbed him!" Alison practically shouted, "I stabbed him with the knife and I ran," Alison was sobbing, her voice shaking as much as her body was, tears staining the fabric covering Emily's chest.

"There was so much blood Emily, so much blood. He pinned me to the floor and he hands around my neck again, and no matter what I tried, I couldn't get him off me. I seen the knife and I- I didn't think, I was just scared, I didn't want to hurt him."

"Shh, it's okay, I know you didn't, you did what you had to do to get out of there." Em brushed her hand through Alison long golden hair and sighed, how the hell did she end up here, like this, with Alison, why was it all happening, and why did it seem like it was far from being over?

"Josh was at my door before I left, we both thought I had killed Michael, I couldn't call the cops because he was the cops, they wouldn't believe Michael was hurting me and it was just an act of self defense. SO I life him there, and I can't lie, I was relieved, I thought it was finally over. It wasn't though, he didn't die, he made it to a hospital and after that he had my face plastered on the news for attempted murder. He made it seem like I was crazy, that out of nowhere I attacked him, and I fled with another man."

"And they finally caught you?"

"Not exactly, for the first year I stayed in Colorado. I don't know why, but Josh came with me, he had family there, he said he needed something more to do with his life, like maybe he could find a way to do something for us both. So I stayed in his family's house with him, under the radar, I hardly ever left the house, I got rid of my credit cards, I started to go by the name Sasha, and that became my life."

"Why didn't you go to Michigan?"

"Michael new my plan, it would've been too obvious to go there, I had to wait. I didn't wait long though, when I turned 25 the next year, Josh had finished training and was a Colorado state police officer, top notch man in blue and I couldn't ask him to leave but I was scared to go anywhere without him. That's when he told me he loved me, after all we lived with each other for 2 years."

Em bit her lip softly, "did you love him back?"

"Yes, of course and I still do, but not in the way he wanted. I was afraid to tell him, afraid he would do the same thing Michael did; I started to cry when he told me and I realized he knew why and after that he didn't say anything about it again. We moved to Michigan and I finally started my old plan and I enrolled in school."

"Alison, why didn't you tell your parents what happened when you were on the run?"

"Are you kidding me, the first time I thought I could tell them, they said I was crazy, when I left, they went on the news calling me deranged, they took his side. But they were still my parents, so I did call...two years had passed and I thought maybe they would've been worried about their only daughter.

"They must've had their phone bugged my Michael himself because the next week, I was out buying books for class and I spotted one of Michael's partners, Oscar, he was following me. I knew then that Michael would never stop, he had to have me. But I didn't know why it was Oscar and not him following me."

"I called Joshua and when I got to our apartment he already had a plan, I acted like I didn't know Oscar was following me and when he busted through our apartment door, we were already down the ladder outside the window, we slashed his tired and made a run for it. We drove all night and most of the day, we stopped when we almost wrapped our car around a tree. When I woke up in the car, we were just outside of some creepy town called Ravenswood."

"Alison, that's not far from here."

"So I was told."

"Josh drove a few towns over and got a job with the Rosewood police at this jail, and I stayed locked away in the motel we stayed at. I was too afraid to leave."

"So then how'd you get here? How'd you get arrested?"

"That was my fault, I got a phone call last year, it was him, he said Happy 26th Birthday, I'll see you soon."

"You mean?"

"Yes, he was here Emily, he found me at the motel, I don't know how, but when I seen his car pull into the parking lot and him rushing to the front office went out the bathroom window and took his car all the way to the police station, I told them I was being chased but when they took my name and information, a hit came up and my file was pulled, I was arrested on the spot for attempted murder and of course they called California to say I was in custody. I didn't even get a fair trial, the police had all they needed. Michael won."

"How long?"

"My lawyer said I could be out in 8 years but usually the sentence is 10 years, I'll be out when I'm 36, I'll be an adult with nothing accomplished except falling for a monster."

"10 years? Alison, you didn't do anything wrong, it was self defense."

"That's not the way anyone else sees it."

"But it's the truth."

"Last time I checked, telling the truth didn't get me anywhere."

"It will this time, it'll get you out."

"Don't be a fool Emily."

"Alison, thank you."

"For what?"

"Telling me this."

"Thank you too, for listening, you and Josh are the only ones that know."

"Alison, I -,"

"We should get back, we've been here too long."

Alison removed herself from Emily's touch and began to move towards the door in the floor, which was the ceiling from the library.

"Wait," Em whisper-yelled, "Ali I have to ask one more question."

"Emily, I'm tired, we can talk more tomor-,"

"The guy you found that helped you, the one Reyes met at his old job, what was his name?"

Ali didn't know why Emily would want to know that.

"Why?"

"Alison, please, I won't be able to sleep unless I make sure I'm not being crazy here, just tell me his name."

x-x-x-x


	14. Chapter 13

**No One's POV**

"This is getting too weird," Spencer said in disbelief as she walked back and forth in Hanna and Emily's shared home office.

"Weird?!" Hanna exclaimed, "I'd say this was all some crazy plan from the beginning. It's not a coincidence what happened, this was always meant to happen. That's what it seems like and it wasn't for this stuff I found, we wouldn't have stood a chance with finding out what was really going on."

The lawyer rubbed her temples and stretched her neck before turning her attention to Hanna, "how did you know that Caleb kept an exact copy of the work he was doing in the floorboard under his dresser?"

"At home or on the road, he does the same thing. Caleb was on the run a lot of his life, and he's gotten brought in for the things he does on the computer, so he came up with a plan to have to working laptops, one to work on and another to encrypt the files and keep them safe, that way in case he was arrested, the police would confiscate his things, but he'd still have his work saved."

"He didn't mention anything when he was in California?"

"About doing this kind of work," Hanna shook her head, "no."

Spencer nodded and continued to walk.

"How are we supposed to tell Em?" Hanna sighed worriedly and noticed how the headache started to return immediately.

"We have to tell the cops first. I know you don't think you can trust Toby, but I promise you can."

Hanna got up off the bed and put her hands up, "no, hell no, even if i decide to trust Toby, these men ARE the cops, we open our mouths and I might as well be ki- it'll hurt Caleb. We go public and this man has every reason to do what he will to Caleb."

"Okay, okay, so we don't say anything."

"Thank you," Hanna said with some relief, "I think we should first, find out everyone's names and do what they do in the TV shows."

"And what's that?"

"Get a board and build the case, the crime, the people involved and our plan."

"You watch Crime TV?" Spencer asked, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"Make fun of me later but I think I'd be able to think better if we just laid everything out just like they do, and you're the lawyer, you should be used to doing stuff like that to organize all the shit you have to go through just to build a case."

"Alright detective, then we'll need a lot more than this if we want to make things right and get Emily and Caleb back."

"How are we going to get more?"

Spencer knitted her brows and swallowed, "you need to make a visit to your friend and I need to get on Alison DiLaurentis' visitors list."

x-x-x-x

Emily woke up the next morning with an impending fear of facing Alison, but she was saved when she woke to shower and found that the bunk across from her was empty, just a pillow and standard blanket thrown across it, barely a sag left in the 'mattress' from the weight of the blonde's body.

Em sighed and swung her legs out of her 'bed,' placing her hands on her knees to aid her in standing.

Today was going to be a long day she thought, and she had no idea how much of an understatement that truly was.

x-x-x-x

**Alison's POV**

I was beyond tired after last night but somehow my body willed me to wake up earlier than early and escape the stuffy confines of my bunk. It was cold at night here and there was ample space in my sleeping quarters, the only reason I found it so stuffy had brown hair and soft brown eyes.

The water I was currently under was so cold it somewhat distracted me from thinking about everything I had told Emily, I felt in my gut I could trust her but me trusting someone always found a way to blow back up in my face, it was just a matter of time before Emily thought I was crazy, before Josh decided he had enough of protecting me then left, it was always just a matter of time. And try as I might to think that it was different with Emily, I woke up still wondering if I made the right choice.

The last thing Emily wanted to know was the name of the man who helped me, but the look in her eyes told me she might already know. She might already know and somehow that scared me, it struck an inexplicable fear in me.

What if she did know the name of the man who had helped me? What if she knew him personally? What would that mean? And if she did know, why isn't she saying anything? I didn't have answers but there was an uncomfortable settlement of nerves in my stomach.

When I felt I used up my five minutes of allotted shower time, I quickly turned the water off and dried my body with the towel before wrapping it around my body. When I walked out of the stall, no one else was around and I sighed in relief, I didn't feel like being around anyone, too on edge to trust myself if someone decided to mess with me.

I knew worrying and getting inside my own head was unhealthy, especially for me but what else was I supposed to do? Staring at myself in the mirror as I applied lotion to my skin, I willed the thoughts to go away, but in my mind I could hear Micheal's voice, I could hear Josh, and I could even hear my parents again, all telling me things, yelling, screaming at me, what to do, who to be, what life to live and how but in the midst of all of that I can hear Emily now too, whispering below the screams somewhere in the distance to let go, to breathe, to trust her and I try to hold on to her voice because it's soothing, it's calm, it's the first time I feel comforted. Josh has been a great friend but even he tried to make me into someone I was not.

Sighing, I noted the red in my eyes and rubbed at them, deciding maybe I needed to get some fresh air for once.

Getting dressed was a little more difficult than I anticipated, Emily would stir occasionally and I would pause, readying myself to run if needed. Funny, because I said I was tired of all the running and here I find someone who seems to genuinely care and want to listen and I still want to tell myself to run.

**No One's POV**

Alison found herself getting dressed fast, not caring to spend the extra time really untangling her long golden tresses and instead throwing it up in a messy bun and making her way towards the double doors near the rec center that lead outside.

She passed the usual guards who had already taken note that she was usually up 30 minutes to an hour earlier than the call time. It wasn't an issue and she walked passed each of the guards, no questions asked, noting that she hadn't seen Joshua since they last spoke in the maintenance closet.

When the blonde was finally outside, she sighed and took a deep breath, reveling in the feel of the cool crisp air piercing her lungs. She hadn't stepped a foot outside in a long time, temporarily forgetting how nice it felt to be out in the open, so nice that she found herself skipping breakfast and instead walking along the entire length of the open area, all along the fence, through the 'garden' and finally around the dirt running track that was somewhat maintained.

It wasn't until she started to feel sweat form along her brow and other start to go outside as well that she realized how long she had actually been outside, almost startled when it was Reyes to call her from her almost sleepwalking like trance.

"Alison!" His voice was distant, getting a little louder as he approached quickly.

She turned and only acknowledged him with her eyes, turning her back back to him and continued to walk.

"Alison," he huffed gently, stopping mid jog beside her, "we need you in the visitor's area."

Ali scoffed, "ha, I've never been there since I was thrown in this hell hole, so I think you either hit your head really hard you have the wrong information."

She took another step but was stopped when Josh reached out and grabbed her arm, waiting until her eyes were locked on his, looking briefly around at the people around him, the other inmates, "Alison there's a lawyer here to see you."

"A lawyer," she asked incredulously, "I never had a lawyer."

"She's not yours." He said with a serious undertone.

"Then who-," she was stopped yet again.

"She's Emily's lawyer, I recognize her from the court hearing, she's hear to see you."

Alison chewed her lip and looked around, afraid of what she felt like was coming undone in front of her and all around her.

"Why does she want to see me?"

"I don't know but I heard from Melendez that she's saying she wants to take your case."

Ali's mind was racing, "I was with Em last night, I told her everything, well almost everything, do you-," she paused with her eyes wide, "shit, do you think Emily told her?"

"No," Reyes shook his head, "I've had eyes on Emily all day, she looks a little distraught but I don't think she told her lawyer, she wouldn't have time unless there's a smuggled telephone hidden somewhere we don't know about.

"Shit." Ali began to pace with her hands thrown up by her head, stopping for her fingers to interlock and rest atop her hair.

"Alison, tell me what you think is going on?"

"I don't know, Emily was asking me about what the guy's name was who helped me get the things I needed to leave Michael, I'm not sure, I can't be, but I think she might know him."

"What," Joshua was standing with eyes wide, "you mean you think they're connected?"

"Somehow," Ali nodded, "yes I do."

"Well, you don't have to see whoever comes to visit you, but this lawyer is pretty persistent, I think she might be able to pull some strings to get to you, if not she might tell Emily about whatever it is she wants to tell you."

"So I don't have a choice?"

"Well, how much do you like Emily? She's great, I know, I've met her, but think about what this could mean, she's just one person."

Ali continued to pace, chewing on her lip before sighing, "she's not just one person, I know it, it may be too soon to tell but I think she feels about me the way I've started to feel about her. There's something between us, I can tell, and it's not just what's happening now."

"Alison-," Josh warned.

"She's worth it, I can be myself and she doesn't look at me the way everyone else does, I can't put it into something concrete, I can't make the right words, but I know." She spoke with conviction, thoughts of the brunette's face flooding her vision, and she actually fought the butterflies in her stomach so she didn't say the three words she knew were too soon to speak.

"You know you just met her right?"

"Yes, but it doesn't feel that way, besides, I have nothing left to lose."

So it was decided, Officer Joshua Reyes escorted Alison DiLaurentis to meet the first visitor who had come to see her since she was convicted of the attempted murder for her ex.

It was weird to walk in the part of the grounds she'd never been in. She was comfortable walking around everywhere else, knowing the ins and outs and enjoying the 'freedom' she had because of it, but following along unfamiliar grey walls unsettled her.

"Alison, you can leave anytime you want, you know that right?"

Ali took a deep breath and walked through all the checkpoints before she came across the Plexiglas window, looking for the visitor's face, swallowing when some woman piqued her eyes and narrowed them, dark brown finding and recognizing blue. It chilled Ali that someone she never met recognized her.

"This'll last 30 minutes to an hour, you haven't done anything out of line and since you haven't been here before, they're giving you extra time if you need it."

Ali nodded absentmindedly and walked her way through the door, ignoring the presiding guard's voice who droned like a broken record, "no touching, no-," yeah, blah blah, she's heard it on all the tv shows, she didn't need to do this to know the rules.

It was awkward walking towards a strange woman and keeping eye contact with her.

"Alison," the lawyer spoke almost disgustedly.

"I'd greet you back, but I'm afraid I have no idea who you are or what you're doing here."

"Please take a seat, and I think you have a faint idea of who I am."

Alison looked at the chair, then at the woman before sighing loudly and lowering herself into the seat.

"Okay, I know you're Emily's lawyer, but what do you want?" The blonde huffed impatiently.

"My name is Spencer Hastings, and yes I am Emily's lawyer and as of two hours ago, I am also Hanna Marin's lawyer."

"Okay," Ali drawled out, "well I don't know who this Hanna Marin woman is, so I think I should leave."

Alison made a move to stand but Spencer reached her foot under the table and hooked her ankle around the leg of the chair, forcing Alison back into her seat, "Caleb Rivers."

It was one name but it still made Ali tense inside, "what? What did you say?"

"Caleb Rivers...you know him?"

Alison looked anywhere but in Spencer's eyes and she rolled her hands along the length of her thighs.

"You don't need to think about lying, because I know you do. Caleb Rivers, he's the one who took some photos for you, you paid him a generous amount of money to do some snooping for a man in the police force in California, who I can only assume is your what? Ex-husband or something? No, because there were no wedding records with your name, so he was just a boyfriend. I know Caleb was helping you and now he's gone."

"I don't understand," Ali was beyond trying to channel her mother and lie right through her teeth, "what does this have to do with me? It was a clean transaction, I paid him in cash so there was no trail and he gave me what I needed, I didn't see him or talk to him after that, so I don't know what you want."

Spencer sighed and put her interlocked fingers on the surface of the table, "Alison, Hanna Marin is Emily's best friend, and she's in here for a crime she didn't even commit, but what's even more interesting is that Hanna is Caleb's fiance, they were waiting for him to come back from his job in California to finally tie the knot, but it seems they won't be doing that now, Caleb has been gone for about a week and a half now."

"Please Ms. Hastings, I had nothing to do with this, how could I, when I got help from Rivers, that was ages ago, I've been in here, there was no way that I had anything to do with any of it."

"I know," Spencer said flatly.

"I didn't even know he was engage- wait what did you say?"

The lawyer shrugged, "I know you didn't have anything to do with it, I looked into who you've called and who's visited you, and your behavior here, there's nothing that ties you to any of it."

"Then why-," Alison started but never had a chance to finish.

"Hanna Marin is also Emily Fields' best friend, I shouldn't be discussing this, but Emily is in here for a crime she didn't commit but admitted that she did."

"What? Why the hell would she do that?"

"She's loyal to a fault, I guess, but I've been working with Hanna and we were able to go back to Caleb's place in California and we found pictures that involve you."

"Yeah, I already told you that I hired him to take pictures of Micheal Richards, that's the man you should be talking to, not me. If Caleb is gone, Micheal might have found out about him helping me somehow and he could've gotten him arrested, you should've checked the station."

"Caleb's not in a station somewhere, he was kidnapped, Hanna has been sent pictures and messages that delete once they'v been read, we know he's been taken."

Alison racked her brain, trying to wrap her mind around everything but failing miserably.

"So what do you want from me?"

"We need to hear your side of the story."

"We?"

Spencer nodded and looked up through the window that was facing Alison's back. Turning around and peering over the tables and other people, Alison laid her eyes on another blonde woman who she was assuming was Hanna and then another inmate, tall with long brown hair, Emily.

"Shit."

x-x-x-x

As soon as Emily laid eyes on Alison in the visitor's room with Spencer Hastings on the other side, she knitted her brows in utter confusion. Nevertheless, she walked beside Hanna and sat hesitantly at a table to the left of Alison and across from Hanna, who sat beside their shared lawyer.

A silence claimed the air around them and it last for any a brief moment before Hanna cleared her throat meaningfully.

"Okay, so the awkward part is over now, we need to get down to business because I don't think we can just sit around not looking at each other, that's not going to get anything solved."

Emily rolled her eyes and looked over her right shoulder, not daring to look to her left for fear of locking eyes with a set of blue ones other than her best friend's, and although she wouldn't meet that gaze, she could feel it boring into the side of her face.

"Okay, so I'm Hanna, you're Alison and to be brutally honest, I'm having a hard time not screaming and blaming you for all of this, I'd shake your hand, but one, that's against the rules," Hanna scoffed, "and two, I'd probably try to hurt you too."

"Hanna," Spencer warned, wearing a fake smile, she knew Alison had the right to leave and kick Spencer off of her visitor's list if she wanted so she'd be the mediator and diffuse the situation if she needed.

"No, it's okay, I'm used to the things around me falling to shit and getting blamed for it, so please, do what you will, I won't try and stop you." Ali's voice sounded tired, Em thought to herself, feeling some pang of guilt after the words she heard from Ali just now resonated with the ones the blonde had shared with her last night.

"No one is blaming you," Emily defended but she didn't move her eyes from a small speck of dust that was settled atop the table in front of her. She didn't mean for her voice to come out so hard either but she was frustrated, seeing Alison sitting there with Spencer confirmed her suspicions and she had spent the last minute wondering if Ali knew who she was from the beginning, why she hadn't said Caleb's name, why she was opening up to her about her past.

Emily sat in thoughts, mainly wondering what she was supposed to believe was genuine or not, maybe she was Alison's pawn and this was all some sick twisted way to get something from here.

"Well, I was actually enjoying myself before this visit, I was getting ready for a run, so guys," Em asked Hanna and Spencer, "if you don't mind."

"Em, what's gotten into you, you haven't even heard why we're here," Hanna looked at Emily and then at Alison who sat nervously beside the blonde's best friend, "okay someone tell me what's going on between you two."

That was the first time Emily looked in Alison's direction with an incredulous look on her face, not too surprised though when Alison returned the look while they both answered too quickly, "nothing."

Spencer raised a brow and raised a suspicious brow at Hanna, "well that sounded...truthful."

"Listen," Hanna sighed, "Em, Alison, I don't know how or why, but we're connected to all of this and I don't know if you know but the man who helped you is my finance, and I have reason to believe that your ex is the one who kidnapped him."

Emily tensed and looked at Ali, a softened expression in her eyes, "Michael?"

"Wait, Emily, you know who he is?" Hanna scooted closer to the edge of her seat, wide eyes begging Em's for answers.

"No," Em shook, "not exactly, Alison just shared with me, um, some things about her uh relationship with him."

Alison dropped her head, the submissiveness in her demeanor a complete 180 from who Em first thought she was yet a completely closer look to just how broken this woman had become because of one coward of man.

"Alison," Spencer said cautiously, "we're not blaming you, I know what Hanna said earlier, but really, we're just trying to get to the bottom of all of this, you have to see where we're coming from."

Alison nodded, her voice low as she answered, "I do see where you're coming from, but I don't think I can help you, I don't want anything else to do with that man, I'll try to help in anyway I can, but I'm safe here."

"Safe?" Hanna looked at Alison and waited for more.

"Alison," she tried when she didn't hear anything else, "why did you hire Caleb?"

"Are you kidding me, I hired him as a PI, he said he could hack Michael's phone and that's what he did, he followed that bastard too and got me the pictures I needed to finally leave him."

"Finally?"

"Hey, I thought this was about Caleb, not questioning Alison's life." Emily was defending Alison again and all four of them were surprised.

"We need you to identify some of the people in some pictures we found at Caleb's house, we'd also like to hear your side of the story."

"And what story is that?" Alison answered the lawyer.

"Yours," Hanna replied, "I have mine, Em has hers, and you have yours, we need to hear them all to know what the hell is going on."

"My only guess right now is that your ex is angry about the split and took Caleb as a measure of getting back at you, what I don't know is why he's choosing to torment him and send Hanna the threatening texts."

Ali shook her head, she couldn't go back and retell the deepest parts of her past that got her to where she was right then and there, no way. And Emily could sense this, like a cosmic laugh in both of their faces. Alison had just opened old wounds to her and now she was being asked to do it again for two more people, these people she had just barely met and frankly, don't know if she should trust.

"And what's in it for me?" Ali crossed her fingers atop the table and stared Spencer in the eyes.

"We need one thing to complete this puzzle we've been trying to put together and then I can make you a deal."

"Okay," Ali hummed hesitantly, "what's that?"

"Well I know what Hanna knows, I know why Emily is in this hell hole and now I need your story, what you know, what your thoughts are, the story about how you found Caleb and why, and more importantly who this Michael is...Alison, I just need your piece."

x-x-x-x

8 years earlier

_"Mom, do I really have to stay so close to home for college? I want to travel and do what I want for a change."_

_"Alison, you sound ridiculous, what do you think is out there? You think there are things just out there sitting around waiting for you? You think once you get older, that your piece of the world is waiting for you? Well, there isn't, your piece doesn't exist. There's nothing out there with your name on it. No," she continued, "you don't belong out there, we need you here, your brother was a failure because he didn't listen to us and he wanted the same thing, to travel and be a man," Jessica mocked, "and now we don't even know where he is or what he's up to."_

_"Okay but that's Jason and so what that he messed up, he's okay now, I've been talking to him," Ali admitted a little ashamed._

"_I told you we were not going to talk about him, much less to him, the only reason we're doing so right now is to remind you that you're no good out there, it's better if you just stay and listen to us, we can take care of you."_

_"You don't think I can take care of myself?" Alison asked defensively from the counter as her mother walked around in the kitchen, preparing food for dinner._

_"Alison, you'd need to find a man with a stable job and good family background as well as financial stability and at that you'd have to be likable."_

_Ali was appalled, "but mom, I am likable, I have friends." The young girl spoke up, "college is going to be coming up sooner than we know it-,"_

_"And you have a list of the applications you can fill out-,"_

_"But mom-,"_

_"No butts Alison, you will choose from one of the colleges your father and I chose for you and study what we tell you, end of discussion, you will respect what we tell you or end up homeless for god knows how long, just like that dead beat you still call your brother."_

_"That 'dead beat' is your son," Alison's voice was raised, anger raging through her._

_"Not since he walked out of that door."_

_"Ugh, you guys are unbelievable!" Ali got up to stalk towards her room when her mother stopped her, her voice razor sharp and ice cold._

_"Alison, don't forget that everything you are, your popularity, your lifestyle, your knowledge of the world is due to us, you are our child, everything you are, we made you. Your friends? You don't have any, you have a posse that strives to be like the image we made you into. Family? You have your father and I. You have no hobbies, no special skills, no talents, no real stand out looks about you, you're not as special as you think and you don't even have a boyfriend to tell you the opposite."_

_Ali stood frozen, stricken with a mix of rage and hurt and she fought the tears that began to well in her eyes, the weight in her chest seemed to have doubled and she clenched her fists, debating whether or not to open her mouth._

_Her heart was racing and she felt like screaming made up words for the whole street to hear._

_"Oh and don't cry Alison, what have I told you about doing that, plus it's just not attractive."_

_"Who made you so cold mom?" It was the only thing she could approve of saying without the risk of making the woman upset with her. She didn't wait for a response or even a chance to consider that there was one before she turned on her heels and marched to her room, taking the liberty to slam the door shut, her bedroom window rattling in the background._

_Alison's breathing was ragged and she had her palms on either side of her head, resting, along with her forehead, against the shut door, cursing under her breath when she felt two streaks of warmth lick down her face in small streams of salt and water. Strange as it was, the tears on her face was comforting, if she used her imagination she pictured it was a warm, gentle hand of a lover, holding her face endearingly, rubbing the pads of their thumbs against her cheeks._

_"We need never be ashamed of our tears," she quoted quietly into the painted wood, "heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears."_

_So she wiped at her face and stood up straight again, walking towards her bed, thinking to herself, "I will be someone, someone on my own, someone I can be proud of, someone real, on my own and someone out there will love me for it."_

x-x-x-x

"Alison?" Spencer tried again.

"My piece?" Alison whispered.

"What," Hanna asked.

"My piece," she said louder, "you want my piece?"

"Yes Alison, I think if we just hear about what happened that we might be able to-," but before Spencer could finish Alison stood up and slammed her hands down on the cold surface of the metal table, staring the lawyer in the eyes.

"My piece doesn't exist." She swallowed and thought of the hard tone that sounded closely like her mothers that was now in her own voice, before she stood straight, ignoring the eyes of the other inmates and their visitors, walking towards a man at the door, "guard," she called out, "I'm done here, please take me back."

Emily watched the blonde intently as she moved, wanting badly to hold her against her chest and tell her it was okay, even if it wasn't the truth.

"Great," Hanna said with a fear and panic-stricken tremble in her voice, "now what?"

"Emily?" Spencer addressed the other brunette.

"What?"

"Do you think you can talk to her?"

"Um, well I can try, I don't know that's going to go though, guys, she's not going to just open up, I've only known her a few days, but it seems longer and I know she won't come back unless she thinks she can truly trust you both, she's just scared."

"She didn't seem scared," Hanna observed, "she seemed pissed off."

"All I can say is she's been hurt bad by this Michael guy, Han, I want to get Caleb back too, but if Ali is really our only hope, I'm afraid we have to give her some time and a guarantee that this won't come back to hurt her."

"Em you're talking and saying this like-,"

"Like she already told you what happened," Spencer finished connecting the dots for Hanna, "she did didn't she?"

"Emily," Hanna exclaimed, "you have to tell us."

Emily was frozen then, not wanting to lie or tell them what she knew...she did not want to speak on behalf of Alison. It was something so utterly personal and dark and haunting that she couldn't drive herself to open someone else's wounds.

"I can't."

"You can't, or you won't, Emily this is important, who's side are you going to choose?" Hanna barked out a little loudly.

"Don't, Hanna, don't you do that, think about the exact side I am sitting on right now, you know who's side I'm on, don't you dare think that I wouldn't help you, what Ali told me was her story, there was nothing there that would help you find Caleb, and if she does know something then she'll say it."

"And you're so sure because you're bed buddies now? She gives you a little side action and you forget that you have a friend missing, is that it?"

"Really Hanna, that's low. Really you think I'm some lesbian whore? Let me remind you," Em lowered her voice angrily, "I'm in here for you, and I won't tell her fucking story because it's not mine to tell," she finished with a shout.

"Hey," the guard at the door called, "keep it down or I'll have to cut your visit short, last warning."

"You didn't even give us a first one," Hanna snapped.

"That's it, visit is over, please say your goodbye's and leave."

"Fuck," Hanna cursed, running her hands erratically through her hair.

Spencer sat, not doing her mediator's job as the two best friend's argued.

"Bye," Em said dryly without giving her best friend a second glance.

"Wait," it was Spencer, "Emily, please just look at these photos so you have something you can describe to Alison in case you decide to help still.

Em groaned and stopped, peering behind her to wait to look at some photos.

Spencer pulled some out, somewhat blurry but clear enough to provide a description of the people's faces.

A wide eyed Emily stared at the pictures and immediately recognized who the three people in the picture were, "I have to go but whatever you do, don't trust any cops."

It was all she said before she rushed back towards the guard and asked to just be 'thrown' back in, leaving Spencer and Hanna to stare blankly at each other and then down at the pictures, minds racing as to who it was Emily had recognized.

_**AN: I know I know, it's been too long, what the fuck have I been doing all this time? Stressing to pay for school that's what, holy shit, I'm so close to dropping out...oh but I just got an actual job this week, my first one, ugh...well it's late but I hope you all had a safe and happy holidays, I've missed you all! Love, Lina ps sorry that this is such a short update :(**_


	15. Chapter 14

_Something in both Alison and Emily changed immediately following the sit down they had with Hanna and Spencer Hastings. Something in them changed and made them realize to look at a picture different that the one they thought they had been starting at for too long._

_In no more than an hour, what started as a most unlikely of friendships, turned into something a little more._

**Emily's POV**

The last thing that happened at the 'meeting' with Hanna and Spencer was nothing I ever expected. The fact that we're all so involved was nothing short of scary. And believing it was a coincidence was just out the question, I know that somehow this was all orchestrated and I know Hanna and Spencer were thinking the same thing.

And there's nothing more that I would like to do, than get to the bottom of this, but the one person that can help me do that, help Hanna and Caleb do that, is well...I don't know yet. I wish I did, I but I have no clue how she's doing.

Is she mad? Upset? Worried? Scared? There was no way I could tell for sure.

In all honesty, I still didn't know that much about Alison, even after she opened up to me, we are still just strangers to one another. And to be even more honest with myself, she could be lying about the whole thing...for all I know she could be behind all of this.

She could be mad that we figured it out, upset that she wasn't as smart as she thought, or maybe she's worried that her act is going to end soon, scared of facing the consequences?

But the more I think, the more I realize that thinking that any one of those is true goes against everything I actually feel about her. I look in her eyes and I can tell she's been hurt, that she's angry but she's trying to fight it, I can tell that about her. No one is that good of a liar.

What I can't figure out is why? Why does everything seem to be related? Who was this Michael really? I don't know. And what's worse, is that Hanna knew less than me, so she's left to think the worst of all possible situations. I didn't know what Michael will do, or what he is really capable of.

But Alison did, she lived with him, she thought she loved him and that, that was the worst way to get hurt.

A thousand and one possibilities ran through my head and by the time I reached the main building, i head a headache.

Somewhat in a daze, I walked back through the halls to find the library. I needed a 'safe' place to just think and get my mind right. I didn't think Ali would go to a place I knew, so the library seemed my best bet. That, plus hardly anyone went in there, so I'd have plenty of privacy aside from the librarian/guard who was left in charge.

No foot traffic, no guards, no human interaction until I came out of from the strange comfort of all those shelves.

It was strange to think about what my next move was. My next move, even though I wasn't here on my behalf. Yes, I stepped in for Hanna, and I could actually be in here anyways if someone found out the truth, but to think about my next move was weird because none of this had anything to do with me. Not really, right? I was just close to everything, and now everyone.

I shouldn't be thinking so selfishly but, really, I told myself, Alison was having problems with Michael, he was in denial about cheating and Ali needed proof so she found a private investigator in Caleb through Reyes, who happened to work with Caleb and train with Michael. Then, when things went sour, Alison ran from Michael, who she may or may not have attacked in self defense. She left with Reyes who turned out to be the best friend she would have on this journey, only to somehow end up being thrown in jail. Michael finds out who helped Ali get the picture evidence and tracks him down. Caleb is taken and Hanna is being blackmailed by him.

I sighed heavily and sat at a table, wondering if I left anything out. Yeah sure, I forgot that Hanna wanted to steal to get the money she was being blackmailed to collect and when she got caught I took her place and here I am, with Alison in the place of Hanna and things are more fucked up than I could imagine.

"Can you just leave? What are you guarding us from? The dust?"

I lifted my head in the direction of the voice even though I knew exactly who it was.

"DiLaurentis, I'm not going to ask you again. Either you calm down or I will write you up for a shot."

"Go ahead," I heard her snarl, "then I'll tell your boss Grey that you've been hooking up with Stone in the closets and you only wrote me up so I would stay quiet."

"You wouldn't, she wouldn't believe you."

"Oh don't push your luck Damion, I've been here longer than you and I've always had good standing, but if you like to gamble, let's do what we both say we will and see who comes out on top."

"Fine, 10 minutes."

"20 or else I tell Grey that you've also been getting close to some of us innocent inmates too."

"You're a bitch."

"And you fucking disgust me."

I was frozen when I heard the door close and our supervising guard leave. Should I hide? Run?

But by the time I stood up, Ali was already at the other end of the desk.

"Emily, going somewhere?"

I looked up and swallowed, "no, I was just going to um, um rearrange the F shelf."

Ali laughed and shook her head, "we did that 3 days ago, we're actually done with all the shelves, just some legal books that need new tabs and a shelf to call home."

"Oh, then I was going to the bathroom," I tried to lie.

"You mean you were going to try avoid me?"

Shit, I was trapped, I couldn't get out of this now that I was caught...

"Listen Emily-,"

"No, I think it's my turn for you to listen to me. I don't want to talk to you about anything, unless we're both being completely honest and it's to help get my friend home safe. If you're too mad or upset, I understand, but this is all so fucked up, it's all I can think about, so unless you want to tell me something about finding Caleb, I'd just like some alone time." I couldn't believe how harsh I sounded, but the doubts still ran rampant in my mind: Alison could be the mastermind here.

"You think I had something to do with this?" She said with a tone of realization.

"I didn't say that." But that's what I wanted her to know right?

"You didn't have to, I can tell."

"Yeah? How, because you know me so well? Alison look at this from how I see it, no offense but all of this-,"

"Is my fault?" She finished.

"No," I protested, "I wasn't going to say that. I wasn't going to blame you."

"Then what were you going to say?"

"Ugh," I sighed tiredly, "will you at least sit down?"

She looked at me through narrowed eyes and I could tell she sat down with some difficulty.

"There."

"Thank you," I said without really meaning it...she hadn't really done anything that needed thanking, so I just looked at her and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, "and I wasn't going to blame you, just so you know," I added after she gave me this look, "I was just going to say that all of this is connected and you're the only person I know that can help sort through this."

"And what exactly do you think I can do to help you and your friend? Because that's the only reason you're talking to me now right? To get answers, to milk me of my past and get all that you can?" She said this somewhat bitterly and I tried not to let her words sting me.

"Ali, I don't know what you think I think of you, but let me tell you, I'm not changing my mind about it. I'm also not telling Hanna or Hastings anything you told me, and I won't. I just hope that when you're ready, you'll talk to someone, it doesn't have to be me...just someone and get this handled."

"Why do you care?"

"Other than the fact that Hanna is family to me and Caleb is my friend? Because I don't think you should have this hanging over you, nor do I think you deserve to be punished anymore than you already have been by this monster. But this is your call, I just don't want anyone else getting hurt."

"Anyone else? Has Caleb been hurt?" Her voice took on a level of concern and it warmed my heart to hear it.

"From what Hanna has told me, just some cuts and bad bruises. She's scared because-,"

"Because she doesn't know how far Michael will take this."

"Yeah," I answered and before I could add, she did.

"And you all think I'm the only one you have access to that knows him that well."

"Well not exactly." I had to tell her about the picture.

"What do you mean, 'not exactly'," she asked, leaning towards me.

"Hanna and Spencer think you're the only one they can ask about this, but they showed me a picture just after you left our ambush and um, and-,"

"And what," she almost yelled, "spit it out!"

"I seen Reyes in it. Hanna didn't recognize him, but I could."

"Emily I suggest you think about what you saw very hard and try again. Joshua has been nothing short of my savior through all of this, so unless you have proof Emily-,"

"It was him Alison," I cut her off and confirmed, looking at her hard, "but you knew that didn't you," I speculated.

"No, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do, you had doubts didn't you? About Reyes, you suspected him, but me telling you, this is the proof you needed. Are you in on this?" I had to be careful how I handled this.

"No, I'm not," she answered cold and hard.

"But you knew Reyes was involved?"

She looked around and when she couldn't find anything to focus on she shook her head, "not at first, not for years, it was just a few months ago that I started to notice that he was acting strange. I didn't think anything about it, I didn't have a reason to."

"Then?"

"I don't know, I guess I could just tell that something was up, but he wouldn't say anything to me, so I guess he was just frustrated with something."

"Why would he be frustrated," now there were more dots to connect more pieces to align and I was this close to getting something before and now another curveball.

"I don't know."

At this point, I was just getting upset, "think dammit! C'mon, think," and when I looked up, I know I shouldn't have yelled. The look in her eyes, like she was looking at a ghost, "fuck," I breathed, "Alison, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you, I just want to know why all of this is happening okay? I'm sorry."

She searched my eyes for a moment before I seen that look in her eyes dim until it faded away completely.

Alison's head dropped into her hands, elbowed firm on the table and she mumbled something against her skin.

"What?"

She looked up and this time there were tears in her eyes, "I can't get away from him. He's everywhere."

It struck me that she was talking about the aggression I had in my voice, the situation with Hanna and Caleb, the involvement of Reyes in everything, even in herself: her dreams, her nightmares. He was everywhere for her, she couldn't escape him.

"Ali," I started but looking across the table at her I knew there was nothing I could say that would make it right. Nothing I could do to undo her past, so I shut up and waited for her to look up again.

"Emily, I know we barely know each other but please believe me when I say I have nothing to do with this. I don't know all the why's, I don't have anyone, I don't even know who to trust, but I'm telling you the truth because I have nothing more to lose."

I stood up then and watched her eyes ask me what the hell I was doing before I answered her by sitting down beside her and holding my arm out, "you have me and you can trust me."

She rolled her lip between her teeth before talking, "why?"

"Why?"

"Yes, why do I have you, why can I trust you, why do you care? I know this has to do with your best friend, but you don't have to pretend to be nice to me because of it."

I laughed lightly and dropped my arms back to my sides.

"Now you're laughing."

"We're pretty toxic aren't we?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Look, Alison, even if Hanna wasn't involved, if this had nothing to do with finding Caleb, I would still care."

"Why, Emily you don't make any sense."

"Then make sense of this," I said firmly before swatting the butterflies in my stomach and licking my lips quickly before leaning in and grabbing the sides of her face and bringing her face close to mine, making sure she could feel my breath, giving her eyes no choice but to look into mine.

Our lips were barely inches apart and my heart was beating so hard and loud I'm sure she could hear it.

Her breath caught and she opened her mouth to say something, closing it, and looking at my mouth before doing it all over again.

"Y-you want to kiss me," she swallowed and in the proximity I could hear it, she was nervous.

I just nodded and let our noses graze gently, "yes, but that would require your permission, when you're ready."

I started to pull away slowly, letting one of my hands drop to the side of her neck and the other's thumb left to stroke her cheek.

"I don't know all the reasons why either, but I like you Alison...a lot. As frustrating as you've made me in these past few days, I like you. You can trust me on that. and you can trust that I will not do anything to hurt you."

"Well," she laughed and smiled genuinely, "that would require me giving you permission to get close enough to hurt me."

"Well then," I posed, "you hold all the cards, what's it going to be?"

"I'll take the gamble," she shrugged and I moved my hands away to hold one out for her to shake.

She smiled and grabbed it, "but just so you know," I told her, "you'll lose if you bet against me."

"I guess we'll see."

"I really wanted to kiss you." I don't know why I said that out loud, but I did and I felt my own cheeks turn red.

"And I really wanted to let you but I don't think I can just jump into something right now, especially here, and you'll be getting out soon, Emily I don't even know-,"

"Hey, hey, calm down, I didn't propose or anything, I just said I like you and I want to help you. Leave it at that okay, you can tell me how you feel - if you feel something about me - later. Right now, I just want you to know you can trust me, as a friend okay? That won't change unless you steal my applesauce at lunch or something."

"More of a pudding girl anyways. But if you're planning on going to the doctor's I could steal some of that away from you?"

"Alright, well then we have a deal." I smiled at her and got up to sit back in my chair across the way when she stopped me, "Emily?"

"Yeah," I answered casually.

"Um," she fiddled with her hands and looked down before meeting my eyes again, "I uh- you irritate me sometimes. I like you too."

"That's good to know."

"Toxic you said right?"

"Right."

"So you want to interrogate me now?" She grimaced and shrugged and it reminded me of what a kid would look like when they were admitted to something they know they shouldn't have done but did anyways. It looked like her own way of saying sorry.

"I want to catch this asshole and figure out what your 'friend' has to do with you and Caleb."

**No One's POV **

Emily and Alison sat in the library for the 20 free minutes they were given and it was awkward at first.

"Who is supposed to do the talking here?"

Alison asked slowly while tracing her hands over the scratches in the table.

Emily looked up and wanted to laugh, but it ended up sounding like she was choking, "um, I don't know."

"Well, I'm sure you have questions right? You have more, I know it."

"Yeah," Em admitted somewhat embarrassed, "I do," then she added, "don't you?"

Alison looked up and when she looked at Emily, Em felt like she was being asked the questions and being searched for the answers at the same time. It made her a little uneasy in her seat, squirming just slightly to adjust the way she was facing the blonde.

"I do."

Emily swallowed, "even if you're good at reading people like books?"

Alison smiled that charming smile and shrugged, "your're different, not like anyone I've ever known, so it's harder to tell what the hell you're about."

"Oh."

"Well, it's not a bad thing, I like it, that means that there's more to you than you let on. And I like that, it's good to be reserved sometimes."

"Yeah, is that why um, nevermind."

"No," Ali stopped her, "not nevermind. You want to know if that's why I'm so defensive right? So intense? It's fine, you're right, it is."

"Hard to read, huh?"

"Well, hard in a different sense, like I don't know the why. Like why you've been so good to me, why you care."

"Alison, you know why, I just told you that-,"

"That you like me, I know. I like you too, but you do a lot of the things you do for a different reason, I want to know why?"

"Is that your question? Just why?"

"No, not exactly, I can be more specific," Alison bantered playfully.

"Okay, well you can put me on the stand this time, go ahead." Emily waved her hands and sat back with her arms crossed.

"Is that a defensive move of your own," Ali questioned, quirking a brow in the process. She laughed when Emily sat up straight and uncrossed her arms.

"N-no," she stuttered, trying to stop the red in her cheeks from getting any deeper.

"Uh huh," Alison teased, "whatever you say."

"What? It's true, I have nothing to hide."

"We'll see."

Em was thrown by the tone is Alison's voice.

"Okay then, go on, ask me something, since you think I'm hiding something."

"Well, hide and protect are two different things, and I don't think you're hiding something as big as what you're protecting."

At this, Emily found it hard to swallow, hoping what she thought Alison was talking about was not was she was actually going to ask her. She sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening and put on her best poker face.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You do Emily, and that's why you're trying so hard not to show it. What was it you just said to me? That I should trust you?"

"Yeah but what does that have to do with-,"

"Do you trust me," Alison asked seriously.

"I - I, you saved me, on more than one occasion I think and you've been open with me about your past, I know that us meeting, and in here, it's weird and-,"

"Listen, Emily, don't skirt around the question...please. Just answer me, I don't care what you say." Although, that wasn't true, she was lying: she did care, and she would care even more if Emily decided she didn't trust her.

But she had been hurt far worst than hearing the honest opinion of someone she had barely known for a couple of weeks. So then why couldn't she just not care about what Emily was about to say. Why couldn't she pretend that she was the same girl that just wanted to make her mom proud and do what she was told to do and show no emotions.

Was it that easy for her to forget about the old her? It was instilled in her wasn't it, so how could she just become the caring person she always knew she was? How could she be in this cold and hard place and want to be nothing more than the best version of herself? She couldn't possibly think it was just because of one person could she?

But all Alison's life had been a series of who was running her life, who was calling the shots, who was pulling her strings. This part of her life now, in here, as ironic as it seemed, was where she had the most freedom she ever had during any part of her life.

She could be who she was because there was no one else telling her otherwise. Her schedule was planned and regulated but compared to being told how to act and who to hang out with, it was a small, if not minuscule, sacrifice.

"It's kind of your turn to answer the questions now Emily." Alison took her stance and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You want me to be honest?"

"Yes, brutally honest."

"What if what I say isn't what you want to hear?"

"Is that how you've lived your life too? Always doing what you think other people want you to do? Saying what you think everyone wants to hear?"

Emily pursed her lips and before answering with an immediate no, she actually thought about what Alison was asking, No one had ever asked her what she wanted, she just did. She never even asked herself if the life she was had was the one she wanted to live. She never remembered doing anything that displeased her mom, or dad, or coach, or teachers, not even Hanna.

"Yeah, I do."

"What?" Alison was prepared to hear Emily yelling at her for talking that way to her and was shocked that the brunette actually said yes.

"I do live my life that way...I guess...I always have. I never asked myself that, no one has ever asked me either, so I never thought about it. But you're right, I do live my life trying to do what I think everyone else wants me to do."

"Emily-," Alison started sympathetically.

"No, you don't get to do that," Em cut her off, "you don't get to feel bad. It has nothing to do with you and what's said is done, so you don't get to feel bad. You asked and I answered."

"I don't feel bad, I can't feel bad."

"Why? Because of who your mom made you?"

"No." Ali made sure to lock and hold her stare at Emily, those brown eyes that she thought were so bright and full of life and happiness were somehow darkened by less happier moments in her life. "I don't feel bad, and it's not because of my mom. I don't feel bad because I know how you feel. I understand. You're looking at me like you can't explain what you mean because I wouldn't get it. And that's fucked up considering I've been a puppet my whole life. So I don't feel bad, I feel like we now share something else in common. I feel like someone finally understands."

"It's not the same though," Emily tried. She remembered everything Alison told her that night. Images of her own about what terrors happened to this blonde haunted her in this very moment and she knew what she endured growing up and being with her parents and in relationships was nothing like what Alison how to go through. "It's not the same Alison, what happened to you...it wasn't like what I went through, and trying to equate them is unfair...to us both."

"Unfair? Emily life is unfair. The degree of pain and heartache we both endured doesn't measure who's situation was worse, it was our own shit to deal with and I know it made us better for it."

"You'd laugh if I told you." Emily looked away finally and bowed her head.

"Try me, I would never laugh at something that hurt you."

"I don't know, compared to-,"

"Stop comparing us! We're not the same!" Alison burst and her face reddened with this frustration building in her.

"Fine!" Emily yelled back, not knowing why they were both getting so riled up, "you want to know, it was my parents. There."

Alison calmed down, focused on steadying her breathing and nodded, "your parents? What did they do to you?"

"It wasn't...it's not like that. It wasn't some singular event, or thing they would always do, it was just...it was...it's just who they are."

"You're not speaking in the past here, Emily, who are they?"

Emily sighed and rubbed at her temples, feeling as all the pent up emotions towards her parents unraveled. She didn't even know she was holding in all this resentment and anger, frustration and pain. She didn't realize she hardly expressed her true feelings about someone or something in her life because she had always been pushing them way down so she could focus on doing everyone else expected her to do.

"Look, I never even talked about this before, I didn't know I could feel this upset about them."

"That's okay, that's okay, I can't be the only one getting overly emotional here, can I? What kind of relationship would that be if only one of us showed how we were always feeling?"

"A toxic one," Emily smiled at her repeated words.

"Exactly, so let's be toxic if that's what this is...but not in that way."

"I don't know where to start."

"Start with answering my first question, do you trust me?"

"I know I can, and I should because you've saved me and haven't been awful towards me-,"

"But? I know there's a but coming along here somewhere."

Emily sighed, "there is."

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

"I don't know, that's the thing Alison, I don't know."

"Why not?"

"I don't know."

"You can't keep saying that! You do know, I know you do, just admit it!"

"Listen, Alison, you were right when you said I had lived my whole life doing what I thought everyone else wanted me to do, in just the span of a few minutes, you helped me realize that in a way I was always being manipulated, pushed and pulled into this person who I felt like I had no control in becoming. So when you ask me, right here and right now if I trust you, I want to tell you yes, that is the truth."

"And the but is?"

"The but is that I also trusted my parents, I trusted my friends, I trusted the people I had relationships with. I trusted them and all I ever was, was their puppet. And I guess in that sense, you're right again, we are alike. But I could trust you now and who knows what I'll do to keep you around. I like you and that makes me even more susceptible to do what I think will make you like me back."

"But I already told you I liked you too and if things were different and we weren't in here I would show you."

"Yeah? Well my parents said they loved me everyday, doesn't change who are."

"You know what, nothing good is going to come out of this if we keep playing this game." Alison was getting to the point where she was thinking about leaving and just staying out of all this.

"It's not a game to me Alison, I just want to help Hanna find Caleb."

"And how did you expect us to do that," she asked rhetorically, "by laying out all our cards right? By giving up the pieces of our stories? Well I did that, you asked and I did, and now you have to tell me something...anything. It's your move Emily."

Em bit her lip and massaged the tense muscles in her neck with her hand, "where should I begin?"

"Close your eyes and just start at the beginning, or the end, it doesn't matter to me."

**Alison's POV**

I watched Emily move and then still and then fidget again in her seat. Whatever she was preparing to say did bug her, and I was glad in a way that I exposed that to her. I could tell whatever it was changed her and I know she said that what she went through didn't measure to what I did, but I knew we shouldn't compare each other's pain to the other, so I didn't.

I also didn't let myself imagine what could've happened or how her parents treated her, I didn't want to build any theories about why she is the way she is based on just my imagination.

I wanted to know her. I wanted to know about the Emily Fields outside of these grey concrete walls, outside of these stupid orange jumpsuits, I just wanted to know her in the sun and in some jeans and a colored top. What was her style like, where did she like to eat at? I couldn't tell any of that from just her eyes.

"Um, so I guess I should tell you about my parents first."

"That'd be a good place to start, but you can share whatever you're comfortable with."

"Why do I feel like we've been each other's psychologists these past few days?"

And that made me laugh, this was a good sign, "well we don't have many other options to stay sane in here," I offered and reveled in the sound of her own pure laughter.

"You're right...again. You know maybe when we get out we should just go back to school and study how-,"

"Emily, I will personally call Hanna and your lawyer and tell them everything I know if you just stop trying to change the subject."

Her face fell and I wished she would start talking soon so I could stop feeling like a complete ass.

"Okay, okay fine. I don't know that there's much to tell okay? My dad is in the army and my mom worked at the police station before she quit there and decided to work at Hollis as a school nurse. Growing up with my parents in the military and law enforcement, everyone thought they were going to be really strict on me. And in a way they were.

"But it wasn't the strict like I had to be home at a certain time every day, I had to ace all my tests. No, they were the 'you need to act like you're supposed to in order to not embarrass our family' type of way. When we moved to Rosewood, my mom had me cut out like a poster child. Her and my dad thought that I could just do no wrong.

"I was supposed to be their perfect little 'Emmy,' that's what they called me and sometime still do. I was young so I listened, god did I listen. I never asked for anything, I didn't talk back, I didn't imagine doing anything if they didn't suggest or support it, I didn't even consider going out to do things if they didn't bring it up first.

"I didn't realize at the time, but I basically lived in a bubble, their bubble, and I either conformed to who they wanted me to be or else I would pop that bubble."

Emily was right, our parents were different, but I couldn't think of anything more oppressive than parents that didn't allow their child to express who they really were. I still felt some sort of pain, like I did feel bad that Emily's parents were submissively mistreating her, it was almost worst that way.

"You know, every time there was a new neighbor, my mom would back a pie and I would go over, greet whoever it was, give them the pie as a gift from the Fields," she mocked in a higher pitched tone which I assumed was meant to imitate her mother's voice, "and on top of that," she added, slightly more agitated, "I had to offer to help them unpack."

"From then, the list became unsaid and I was expected to be like the overly sheltered girl-next-door character we see in all the movies. I was well-mannered at the dinner table when all I wanted to do was slouch a little and not hold it in every time I needed to burp."

She was upset but I had to let out a little laugh at this.

"Yeah, it's funny now, but fuck," she took a long sigh, "that was so annoying, I hated that. There was more, in fact there is a whole lot more, but I'll spare you from that snooze fest."

"No," I objected, "you can tell me everything."

"I know...I know I can, remember I do trust you, at least I do for now, it's just you want to know why I am the way I am, just the same as me wanting to know what happened to you that you had to wear this hard emotionless mask for so long when I knew right off the bat that that wasn't the real you."

"So tell me." There was an infuriatingly frustrating way we had been talking to each other. It was like we were in this bipolar argument of who gets to be nice today, or mad, or secretive, it went back in forth between questioning and answering and pushing and pulling, I just wanted to...I just wanted to scream. Did she feel like this too?

"There was always this build of tension between my mom and I as I got older. My dad was gone more and more often and soon it felt like it was just me and my mom. I missed him but there was nothing I could do. I looked forward to the days he would call because it was just me and him, I didn't have to be anything but just myself talking to my dad.

"When I realized this, it made me resent the way my mom watched over me all the time. Like she was making sure I was still being their perfect Emmy. Then when high school was about to start, I started to notice something about myself.

"You hit puberty." God, I felt so stupid for saying that but I would want to do anything to hear Emily laugh again.

And she did. "No, no aside from that." I could tell the laughter was just a way to ease the awkwardness of what she was going to say but I didn't know why. What did she do?

"Did you run of and dye your hair?"

"No."

"You got your ears pierced?"

"No."

"Bellybutton?"

"NO, c'mon we're talking before freshman year."

"Well I don't know, did you take her credit card and run off to the mall for an unauthorized shopping spree?"

"No, Alison," she said in a even voice and met my eyes with a look that screamed-

"Oh...OH," I exclaimed.

Her eyes racked over my face like she was checking me-

"OH, so you knew that early that you were..that um you liked..."

"That I was into girls?" She completed my thought but with flushed cheeks.

"Yeah, oh god, please, I don't know why you're getting red, I would never make fun, or offend you, I mean obviously I have nothing against it, I just didn't know if you labeled your sexuality or were one of those 'it doesn't need to have a label and neither do I' kind of people."

"It's okay, calm down no need to apologize."

"Okay, I mean we're not really the best communicators are we?"

"With each other? No."

"Yeah, well what are we going to do about that?"

"We're not a couple or anything," Emily started, "so there's nothing that we have to do."

"Not yet." Oh shit, did I just say that? I looked at her and felt my cheeks burn up.

"Not yet what?"

Oh god, I had meant that she and I weren't a couple yet, "um, there's nothing we have to do about that yet, you know unless it'll jeopardize finding your friend."

"Uh huh, sure," Emily had a playful smirk on her lips and a look that read 'I know you're lying' all over her face.

"Oh you wish." Yeah, that was good, defense was the best offense. I think I remember reading that on a poster in gym during high school.

"Okay Alison, whatever you say."

What's going on? Are we...flirting?

"Yes," Emily answered, "we are." What? But I didn't say-

"Oh shit."

"Yeah, you were thinking so loud your brain had to use your mouth." She started laughing and this time I didn't join her.

"Emily - no - I-,"

"It's okay, I can make people this flustered."

"Oh so you've done this before?" I asked playfully.

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Does Emily Fields who I thought was sweet and innocent often pray on weak pretty women?"

"Who said I was innocent, I'm in here aren't I?"

I narrowed my eyes and gave her a knowing look, "and you shouldn't be."

"And who said you were pretty?"

"Ugh, that's insulting."

"I'm kidding," she told me, trying to rid of face of the feigned hurt it was sporting, "I think you're beautiful."

I looked up to say something probably equally mushy when she cut me off, "even in these unflattering lights."

"So what I'm not hearing is a no?"

She sighed at this and then looked at me like the words were getting lost in her throat.

"I haven't dated many girls since I knew what I was. In fact, it took me years just to come out to my parents, and even then, they made me feel ashamed to be who I was."

"Emily, I'm sorry." How could someone do that, make someone else, much less their own daughter, feel bad about who they love.

"It's okay, you know...Hanna was the first person that knew. She was the only one I had that told me it was okay, she said she loved me no matter who I liked and that's when I realized that there was no use in hiding it."

"So you told them?"

"Who, my parents? No not right away, in fact when Hanna found out, there was no way anyone even suspected that I was into girls. I even used to date this guy Ben. I knew I could say no, but my parents thought he was nice and so did I and he wasn't bad looking, I thought you know maybe I wasn't sure, I should just date him so I know I'm not gay."

"What happened with him?" I immediately got on edge, wishing that nothing bad happened.

"He didn't really try anything with me, and when he did the one time, well Hanna was there for me. He didn't...we didn't-,"

"It's okay, as long as he didn't hurt you?" I was concerned. I couldn't fathom anyone wanting to hurt Emily and the thought of some kid in high school doing it made me angry.

"No," she answered truthfully, "there were things said at school about what happened between us but I wasn't too hurt by it, not as badly as I hurt him, besides almost everyone knew he was lying anyways."

"Oh so you gave him the ole one-two combo?" I tried to make her smile and was relieved when I did.

"No, although I should've, but I was on the swim, I couldn't do anything to jeopardize that."

"Swim team? Hmm, I didn't peg you as a jock."

"Jock? Just because I was a swimmer that doesn't mean I was a jock."

"Uh huh, sure, and who said me calling you a jock was a bad thing?"

"No one."

"Then? It was the way you said it."

"Well, that's just my voice, don't judge me for having it sound the way it does, I had no control over anyways."

"You sure are something else," she mused.

"Yeah, so I've heard." I smirked and I pictured that if we were somewhere else, she would be playfully throwing something at me right now.

"Emily, I want to ask you something before you continue."

"Yeah sure."

"Do you um, you know, now that we said how we feel about each other I guess, do you um..."

"Spit it out or you can always tell me later?"

"Yeah," I let out exasperated, "I'll take a raincheck."

"Okay, well then, what's next on the list our list of awkward moments to have before a first date?"

"First date?"

"Yeah, you know I was thinking a nice walk around the dirt track? I private escape in the laundry room, making catch a movie in the rec room and then finish it off with the grey meatloaf and watery potato mush for dinner."

"Woah," I teased, "someone sound pretty high maintenance, plus you know how hard it is to get a seat in at La Cafeteria? I would need like a month in advance reservation."

"Alright, shut up and just ask me something else."

"Fine, fine, but we get off topic again and I don't think I'll be calling you back for date #2."

"Fine with me, I wouldn't have given you my number in the first place."

"Touche. Well how about this? I don't know how much longer I can wait to see what Reyes has to do with all of this. I also know our lovely guard will be coming in in less than 2 minutes. until then we stay low, avoid Joshua and you call Hanna and let her know what's going on?"

"Uh-," I knew I through her off but I remembered that I told Josh I would meet him later to talk about what Hanna and her lawyer wanted from me. If he was helping Michael, I needed to know before I met with him.

"Yeah, okay, fine, we can do that," Emily finally agreed.

"Okay, but before we do, you know you're going to have to tell me why you're really in here."

Her eyes widened and before she could open her mouth to pretend to lie, she snapped it shut and nodded, opening her lips again to say softer this time, "okay, okay, I'll tell you."

"Good."

"I trust you, Alison."

"Good, and I won't let you regret it."

"Was that a promise," she teased.

"No," and I held out my hand, smallest finger outstretched, "it was a pinky promise."

She took it skeptically and laughed lightly, "now, it's a legally binding contract."

"Whatever you say Fields, let's just get to the bottom of this, I have a date later."

"Then I guess you better start talking."

**No One's POV**

"That's what Hanna said?" Ali asked quietly from the confines of the secret space above the library.

"Yes, I'm sure of it. The day of my hearing she admitted to me what was going on."

"And she thought stealing would solve the ransom problem that she didn't know was legit or not?"

"Alison, I don't like the insinuation," Emily sat back from the chair she was currently sitting in and stared firmly.

"What insinuation? Emily I'm trying to figure out if I can connect anything, Michael came from a wealthy family, super loaded, it doesn't make sense that he would put a ransom on Caleb."

"Look, Hanna isn't an idiot. If she thought that getting the money by stealing some things would save Caleb, she would do it. She doesn't know Michael, hell neither do I, so how was she was supposed to know if it was all a ruse or something?"

"Okay," Alison accepted, "then why couldn't she take the money from your business?"

"She would never, we both worked too hard for the place together for her to want to do that. I already asked her."

Alison sighed and took her hands to massage out her temples, "I don't know why he would do this, Emily."

"What about Reyes." Em questioned cautiously.

"What about him? I told you I don't know yet, we have to wait for your lawyer to get back to us with the stuff they found in California."

"Did you see him after the library?"

"I did, but we weren't alone, I don't think he has the feeling that I'm avoiding him, but he did have a look in his eyes, like he was asking me something."

"Do you think he knew something beforehand?"

"He only said that a lawyer was here to see me. Nothing more than that."

"Okay, what about his assignment to my case? And Officer Cavanaugh's involvement?"

"How do you mean? I thought you said your lawyer woman cleared him?"

"Yeah, but when I was on the phone with Hanna, she told me he was starting to get agitated about being in the dark on everything and our persistence with not bringing this to the police in an official report."

"Hmm, Cavanaugh?"

"Yeah, why? Does that name sound familiar?"

"No really, but I can't rule it out completely. Have you met this guy?"

"Met him? No, he was just the one to arrest me and Hanna."

"They called him to the mall to arrest you from the jewelry store? You both weren't taken into holding by a security guard?"

"No," Emily said slowly, thinking about that more carefully, "he was there within seconds of the alarm going off."

"And you didn't think that was strange?"

"No, are you kidding me, all I could think about why the alarm was sounding and what was going to happen, not to mention the cuffs and then seeing the look in Hanna's face, and next thing I know I'm being read my rights and shoved into the back of a black and white."

"Okay, I'm sorry, I am, I'm just thinking out loud alright? I'm not trying to be cynical or harsh and I'm not speculating anything."

Emily uncrossed her arms and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, with her intertwined hands held up under her chin, "Alison, tell me something."

"Okay, sure."

"Do you picture your life when you get out of here?"

"Uh, to be honest, I used to. When I first got in here, it was hard to sleep and it was hard to wake up so when I did close my eyes, yeah, I would imagine I was out already, doing what I always wanted."

"Your dream?"

"Yeah, my dream." Alison smiled weakly and turned her head to Emily.

"Why do you ask? Do you imagine what happens when you get out of here?"

"No, not really. This may sound obscene but this, being here, has been the most excited thing to happen in my life, I don't feel the outside pressure to be the young business woman, or the perfect daughter, the best friend, just me. Fields," she laughed.

"That's not too obscene, but it is a little unconventional that we both find freedom in a place whose sole purpose is based on detainment."

"Yeah pretty ass backwards that we feel like that in here."

"Do you have someone waiting for you," Ali asked abruptly out of the silence.

"What? Uh, what do you mean?" Emily shifted and looked at Ali with amusement.

"I mean, I know you said you liked me but you never said if you were single or if you were seeing someone."

"That's because I'm not," Emily smiled.

"Oh."

"I think this is where you say something like 'good.'"

"Oh? You think?" Emily laughed and in the dying light of the flashlight Alison could see the little dimples in her cheeks harboring that dim light.

"Yeah, and I think that I might start re-picturing my life if I get out of here."

"Um correction, you mean when you get out."

Alison hummed at the thought and nodded, "okay fine when I get out. Because that's what we're going to do right? Prove I'm innocent and find Michael?"

"Yeah and get Caleb."

"And what happens if we do that?"

"Well then," Emily looked up with a fake look of deep thought and smiled, "I suppose you could ask me out and take me on that high maintenance date?"

"Oh, you suppose?"

"Yeah, I do."

"And how do you know that's what will happen?"

"I don't."

"Well then," Ali repeated mockingly, "I suppose it's not a bad guess."

x-x-x-x

_**AN: so school started two weeks ago and in case you haven't realized, that usually means these updates happen irregularly. Sorry for that, I wish I had the courage to just pursue English in college, but I don't. So between life, school and my new job, I'll be writing with nothing but pure joy when I have the chance. This is my happy place, abusing these keys on the computer, or tattooing paper with my words, it's **__**my own**__**.**_

_**That being said, doing this is something I've always loved. I have never been sure about it and was usually very self conscious so the fact that some have been stealing/ "borrowing" from something that means so much to me...well quite bluntly, it hurts and to be honest, it pisses me off.**_

_**I can assure all of you that everything I write is 100%, hands down, no questions asked, without a doubt, MY ORIGINAL WORK. This is my intellectual property. Some smut prompts were suggested by readers and that is all and some quotes from songs have been QUOTED, that is all. Accusing me of taking another person's work, so not cool, especially not when I have seen my stuff "borrowed" in other people's work before.**_

_***sigh, anyways, I hope you're all still with me on this ride,this chapter was meant to solidify the awkward if not complicated relationship that is about to develop between Em and Ali... I hope the next chapter throws you for a loop, everything is not as simple as it might seem. *attempts to wink horribly***_

_**I love you all, be kind, and respect each other, xo Lina**_


	16. Chapter 15

**Emily's POV**

I was back at square one after my talk with Alison. It was late and we still had no clue as to where Reyes was or how he was really involved in all of this. My only hope was that the pictures were old and taken before Michael ever hurt Ali. Or at least before he knew about it.

After the two of us decided to come clean about our stories and what we planned to do next, we sat in silence - in the attic of sorts - and waited for it to be almost time to wake up.

"We should probably get back now," Ali suggested after a while, "guards will be rotating soon, so we have a few minutes to be unseen."

"Alright," I said while getting up, "how much time do you think we have until wake up call?"

Alison stood, bowing her body back to stretch stiff muscles and shrugged, "I'm not too sure, but since it a new shift and they rotate at 4, my guess is about 4 hours."

Nodding, I crouched down near our door in the floor/ceiling and lifted the panel, "so we can get some shut eye for a while?" I don't know why I asked, but I guess it was because I was ready to talk to Alison some more.

And again, like she was reading me, she tilted her head and despite the poor lighting, I could still see the inquisitive gleam sparkling in her eyes. "Yeah I guess we can," she spoke slow and when she looked at me, she added, "but is that what you want to do?"

It was wasn't it?

Sighing, I put the panel back down and sat on my knees, looking up at her standing above me. "Alison, I want to tell you just as much about myself as you have told me about you."

"Okay, and I said whenever you feel like it's the right time, you can, but you don't owe me anything okay?"

"I know that." She sounded conflicted and that's how I was starting to feel.

"Listen, it's just that tomorrow - or in a few hours from now, whatever - things are going to be different. I don't know exactly how, but I know they will be. We - you and I - we're involved in something bigger than just us you know?"

All she did was nod and let me continue to speak.

"This is all tied together and I can't help but feel like it was for a reason, not just Michael's planning, but something more. I like you, I like you a lot and I want to get the person or persons that you here and prove you are innocent. I want us to get out and before we do that, I should tell you everything. No more secrets because it would really suck if one of us wasn't being as truthful as the other."

Alison just smiled and crawled on her knees in front of me,"you really want that date don't you?"

I dropped my head and laughed, somewhat in relief and also embarrassment, "you caught me red-handed."

"Guilty as charged?"

I looked up and at my blank expression, she covered her mouth to hide the fact that she had almost burst into laughter.

"That was punny wasn't it Em?"

I laughed back as silently as I could and when silence fell again, I looked at my hands, "you called me 'Em.'"

"Oh," Alison stopped, "uh, yeah, yeah I did. I'm sorry," she started to apologize after a few seconds, I guess I shouldn't have before asking you if that was alright, I'm sorry."

"No, don't be, I don't mind. It was just-,"

"Weird," she tried to finish for me.

"No, no, " I reached forward and grabbed her hand, "I was going to say nice, it was nice."

"Oh, well that's good."

"Yeah," I mused, "it is."

"Okay."

"Okay," I looked at her and then down at my hand that was still holding hers and I was going to pull away but then decided against it.

"Emily?"

"Yeah, you already told me about your past, and home life and why you're in here...so what else did you want to tell me?"

I swallowed hard then and I hoped that my sudden increase in body temperature wouldn't make my hands get hot enough that I would start to sweat all over hers.

"Nothing, I just, I want this to all work out, I need it to."

"Why?" And I know she knew it was for Caleb and Hanna but I also knew that we both knew she was asking for something else.

"Because," I whispered, scooting closer, "when it does work out and if I have to stay in here for obstruction of justice or whatever for taking the fall for Hanna, or whatever might separate us, I want to be able to remember this, and to be able to do it again."

"Do what?"

"This," and I leaned in the rest of the way, our hands still on one another's and I locked eyes with hers for a moment. I only wanted to do this if she was ready, so I waited a few more seconds, I asked her with my eyes if she was okay with this and when she met my lips and started to lean in towards me too, I sucked in a breath and closed my eyes.

It was as if I was in high school again, having my first kiss, but this time it wasn't a dare from a game of spin the bottle, this was different, this was with someone I wanted to know and be with and I just -

Stopped thinking a coherent thought the moment our lips meant. Cliche I know, but even at 25 I could feel this charge form between our skin, it wasn't the adolescent butterflies fluttering lightly. They were much heavier and I blame the conversations we shared for it.

It was different: the connection we had it was different than any other relationship I had with anyone else. Alison and I already unloaded the baggage before we even knew where the plane was headed.

I focused in on the way our lips were melded together, it felt...perfect. Yeah, the untouchable word, the unreachable but in this moment, it felt right.

She kissed me. I kissed her. We kissed each other. It was perfect.

I wanted to deepen the kiss, god did I want to but I knew I would be pushing my luck, or our boundaries if I did. So I started to pull away and I sighed when cool air finally hit my exposed lips again.

My eyes were lidded, Alison's were fluttering open and when the two pair finally met we sighed and a lazy smile crept across both of our faces.

"Wow." It was all she had said in a while and I squeezed her hand and repeated affirmatively, "yeah, wow."

"What, don't do that," she laughed lightly, "it was a good wow."

"Yeah?" Now it definitely felt like the first time I kissed someone, wondering if I was 'good at it.'

"Emily, I wanted to. I - I was ready."

"You sure," I asked, hearing the teenage version in myself emerge.

"Emily, yes, I'm sure. I've learned - somewhat the hard way - to not do something or be involved with someone unless it is 100% what I want...or," she added slowly, "who...I want," she was careful and I smiled shyly.

"Who you want?"

"Yes."

"So what I'm hearing is..."

"Emily."

"Alison, what am I hearing?"

"You're hearing that..." she paused and chewed her lip before looked at me suggestively, "you can call me-,"

Oh god, was she going to say girlfr-

"Ali."

"What?"

"Don't hold your breath, or look so surprised, it's just a nickname."

"Yeah," I said exhaling the breath I was accused of holding onto so dearly, "I just, yeah no, it's good, that's great. Ali, I like it, thank you."

"For what?"

"For giving me permission to use your nickname."

"Emily," she mused, "it's just a nickname, not that big of a deal."

I shook my head and moved my hands from hers, "but it is so much more than that sometimes. You know I told you my dad calls me Emmy, and my closest friends call me Em, I had nicknames in high school for swimming from my teammates and sometimes Hanna calls me-,"

"Hey, Emily, Em, stop."

I snapped my mouth shut and cringed internally, "I was rambling."

"Yes, you were," she laughed but I know it wasn't at me.

"Sorry," I grumbled, scolding myself for being so...so 16 year old me.

"Em?"

"Yeah Ali?" It was nice, the way her name rolled from my mouth, it was even nicer hearing mine fall from hers.

"How's that 4 hour nap sound?"

"Overdue."

After that I climbed down the 'rabbit hole' and helped Alison down afterwords. I found it was surprisingly easy to slink back into our cell block and the nap I fell into was easier still. I exchanged a few words with Ali and went to sleep with a twinge of happiness that I didn't expect to be feeling.

I had kissed the girl. I had finally had the courage to do it.

Now it was matter of making sure I could do so again, on the 'outside.'

x-x-x-x

**No One's POV **

"Yeah, yeah," Hanna groaned, "I accept the damn call." Hanna was currently in her living room with Spencer Hastings, accepting the phone call coming from the prison where Emily was.

"Hanna please relax," the lawyer tried to coax, calling the blonde back to couch, where they were previously sitting.

"I can't, what if that DiLaurentis doesn't want to help because we yelled at her, it's going to be my fault if we don't get Caleb back, what if Em-," and before Spencer could calm her down a voice was heard on the other end.

"What if Em what?"

"Oh god," Hanna sighed in relief, "Emily, are you okay, did she do anything to you? Because if she did, I am so sorry and also I'm going to kick her ass."

"What? Hanna breathe, what are you taking about?"

"Alison. Alison, did she do something to you because we upset her? Emily if she did you have to tell someone, or I will-,"

"Woah, Hanna please, calm down, Alison didn't do anything to me. We talked it out, yeah she was upset but it's fine now, she's fine."

"She's...fine? So you're fine?"

"Yes," Emily breathed, "fine."

Hanna's lungs expelled a giant breath of air and she finally relaxed enough to fall to her couch next to her lawyer.

"Hanna, put Emily on speaker please."

Hanna obliged and set her phone down on the coffee table.

"Hello Emily, it's Spencer Hastings."

"Hello Spencer, I hope Hanna isn't causing you too much trouble."

"No, I'm not am I?"

Spencer laughed and shook her head at the phone even though Emily wouldn't be able to see her, "she's nothing I can't handle, I've dealt with worse clients before."

"Clients? Spencer I thought we had a real solid friendship forming here?"

"We do," Spencer laughed and Emily cleared her throat unceremoniously.

"Eh-hem, yes I'm still here and mind you I don't have the luxury of unlimited call times here."

"Yeah, you're right, Em, we're sorry, so what did you want to call me about?"

"I know Alison isn't guilty and that her ex had planned everything and maybe with help from some of his friends in blue uniforms."

"Emily, I don't mean to dismiss you this way, but it doesn't matter what you believe, what matters is what we can prove and without that we have nothing"

"No, that's not nothing, we know where to start looking now."

"No Emily, we don't. All we know is California is the last place both Caleb or Michael were."

"Well start there, you have to start there."

"Emily, we hardly have anything to go on. Look what about how Alison was arrested?"

"What about it?"

"I'm not sure," Spencer thought aloud, "but if we could gather the paper trail of how she was found and who arrested her and how the legal 'stuff' went down, I could pinpoint...something."

"Stuff and something? I thought you were the best of the best, no offense but even stuff and something seem a little...I don't quite know, rookie like?"

Spencer dropped her head and laughed, "Emily, I can assure you that I am not a rookie, despite my age and the colloquialism - which I credit to Hanna's repeated requests to quote unquote 'speak English' - I am very well experienced, but I must admit that this is the first case of it's kind that I've encountered."

"And what does that mean for us?"

"Emily, if Alison's ex and Caleb's kidnapper are indeed the same person - which, I believe they are," she added for Emily's sake, "then we need definitive ties to the two instances as well as proof that he was involved."

"Is that it?"

"No, not really," Spencer looked sidelong at Hanna and the silent blonde nodded, she had already heard this so she had nothing to say until it was all explained to Emily too.

"Then what else is there," Emily asked frustratingly.

"Well we would definitely need the legal jurisdiction to conduct any kind of investigation in California which I can tell you right now, will not be easy to come by,especially if I don't have a compelling case to present to a judge of any kind. Not to mention that the fact that Alison was arrested and convicted there in Pennsylvania and if her charges were as grand as attempted murder and the other lesser charges that she was found supposedly found guilty of, then she should've been prosecuted back in California. So something else would have happened to keep her there."

"So, that's it," Emily said lightly although everyone could tell she was being sarcastic, "easy enough right, doing what sounds impossible? It feels like we're trying to push a boulder up a steep hill and then these walls keep randomly popping up in front of us."

"Hard, I know Emily, but these are the things you need to hear, they're the obstacles we have to get through if-"

"Yeah," Emily sighed into the phone, "yeah I know, thank you for not sugar coating it."

"Em," this time it was Hanna, "it's not impossible you know." There was a twinge of doubt in her voice though.

"I know Hanna but Alison-,"

"Alison?! Emily, Alison really," Hanna burst out of pure frustration, "this isn't just about her!"

"What? Hanna I know that, I know that."

"Well, it doesn't seem that way, every time we've talked to each other, her name seems to weasel it's way into everything. I just want to find Caleb, Emily, I want him home where he belongs." Hanna dropped her head into her hands and sighed heavily, trying to hold it all together without yelling into the phone at the table again.

"I'm sorry, Hanna, I am. I want Caleb home too," and after a time she added, "but I also want to put away the man that's behind all of this, I want to get out and I want Alison to get out and live the life she was robbed of. Hanna I just want to make things right."

"I know you do Em, I know you, and I'm sorry I burst at you but I'm just stressed, I'm tired, I want Caleb home, I just want my finance home to cook me alright dinners and get us free movies to watch before they come out in the theaters."

Emily dropped her head against the brick and played with the metal coated wire attaching the phone to the wall, "Hanna, I love you, you know that, and I love Caleb, but this is about everyone at this point, and I only have a few more minutes left, what I wanted to tell you was that Alison and I think Reyes might be involved."

"Reyes," Spencer asked, "wasn't that the name of the officer who was assigned to help in your case?"

"Yes and he was also Alison's friend in everything after she decided to leave Michael."

"That's it?"

"No, I also found out that he was the one who found Caleb for Alison, he was training to be a police officer under Micheal's wing and he used to be or maybe still is in love with Alison. That and I recognized him as the other person in the photo you have of Michael."

"Emily, why didn't you tell us sooner?"

The silence gave Hanna the time to remember what Emily said yesterday, "right, Em, it wasn't yours to tell. But now?"

"Now," Emily grinned through the phone, "well now Ali has given me permission to tell you. Hanna, she wants what we want."

"Ali?"

"Oh, uh yeah, Ali."

"Okay, thank you Emily," Spencer said a little too loud and somewhat awkward, sending a warning look in Hanna's direction.

"Em, listen, Spencer and I should start digging around to see what she can find, in the mean time, do you think you and Alison can find out if that guy Reyes is guilty of something or not?"

"Yeah," Spencer added, "and I don't find too many coincidences in my line of work, so whatever lines we can draw, we need to connect them."

"Okay, well that might be hard considering Alison and I haven't seen him since yesterday afternoon."

"Really," Spencer speculated, "well I can call and get where he was or is and if you tell Alison to use her phone call later, I can let her know what I found."

"Okay, thank you Spencer, we'll be in touch...somehow," she laughed at the end.

"Bye Em, stay safe...and," she picked up the phone and took it off of speaker, "I am sorry for all of this."

"Hanna, it's okay, you know if I hadn't done what I done, then maybe I wouldn't have met Alison and Michael would be getting exactly what he wants, who knows, maybe me being here is a good thing."

"I don't always see the way you see things Em, nor do I agree with all the do-good you do, but this time, just know that I do, and I agree."

"Oh," Emily said, taken aback, "well thanks Han, and don't worry too much, we're going to catch this bastard."

"Thanks Em, I don't know what I'd do without you. I am beyond thankful for you."

"Bye Han, we'll be in touch. Spencer, take care of her."

"Will do Emily."

"Bye."

Emily hung up and she felt like she was hanging up some sort of problematic towel that she used to soak up all the issues that started the moment she and Hanna went to the mall. She just wanted to hang everything up to air out, dry up and disappear in the air the way normal particles would.

"Fields," someone called, a guard, "you gonna move? You're not the only inmate wanting to use the phones here. When time is up, time is up."

"Yeah, yeah," Emily dismissed, "I'm going."

Emily shuffled her way around the corner until she bumped toe-to-toe with someone else, "Emily?"

"Val? What are you doing here?"

The small brunette laughed and pointed over the taller brunette's shoulder, "same as you, just wanted to make a call."

"Oh, of course, yeah of course, I just thought-,"

"What? That I was following you? Eavesdropping maybe?"

Emily tried to smile and not seem suspicious but she couldn't help the way her eyebrows knitted and her head tilted, "were you?"

"What? No," but the lilt in her voice made Emily uneasy.

"Aha, I'm just messing with you Emily, ease up."

"Yeah," Em laughed nervously.

"Hey, Aryn and Aria are outside near that knobby tree near the gardening shed, said Aryn said she had a surprise to share with us."

"Oh, okay, well I think I still have to be in the library for an hour or two but sure, I'll meet you out there."

"Okay, no worries," Val assured, "in fact you should bring DiLaurentis."

"DiLaurentis?"

"Yeah, I've noticed the way you look at her, I think there could be something there...unless I'm wrong, then you can come alone."

"No, no, I'll ask her, thanks Valerie."

Emily turned around before Val could say anything else and when she seen Val walk towards the phones she stopped turned around and put her back against the wall at the corner, straining her ears to hone in on Valerie's voice and focus on anything worth retaining.

It was hard to filter through the chatter but Emily did that anyways and tried to block out any other noises.

"No, I don't think she knows. Neither of them know. What do you mean how do I know, I just do okay. I'm sure of it. And I want to keep it that way still. I'm going to see her in a bit. Yeah, she'll be there too. I know she's involved with that guy but I don't care about that, he works here but he won't be an issue. Yeah, I know, I know, I will do it. In time, when I'm ready. Yeah, okay-,"

And when Emily thought she heard enough and Val was getting ready to hang up she ran from that wall and straight towards the library, her mind was going to explode.

No way could there be more twists to this than there already was.

x-x-x-x

"Em, please calm down, breathe." Alison was trying to calm the woman down into sitting and remembering to breathe.

"I am breathing Ali, I'm breathing."

"Then can you please sit down and breathe next to me so I know you won't fall over and pass out."

Emily looked over her shoulder and sighed, dropping them and then reluctantly sitting down next to Ali.

"What am I supposed to do, it's not like we can escape these people, we're trapped in here and now everything I hear from people is sounding suspicious."

"Emily, you're getting paranoid," Alison whispered. She looked at Emily and struggled to show that things were going to be alright. She wished to put her hand on Emily's shoulder and after kissing her it seemed ridiculous to be reluctant towards a simple touch.

Without being noticed, Emily had turned her head and was watching Alison with her hand currently hovering over left shoulder.

"Alison, what are you doing?"

Embarrassed, Alison dropped her hand and chewed her lip, "it's been a long time Emily...since I've allowed myself to feel."

"I know," Em answered slowly, "and I told you that I like you so I would never want to put you in a position that would make you feel...uncomfortable," she rubbed the backs of her hands in her lap and took a deep breath before looking at Alison, "and if," she exhaled, "kissing you was a mistake, then I promise I won't do it again, not until you know you're ready and so do I."

Alison shook her head and clenched her hand before placing it against Emily's shoulder, smiling reassuringly before speaking, "Emily," and after a moment, she smiled more broadly, "Em, I wanted to kiss you. I was ready, I think I am ready, but I want to be ready when we're not in this...situation."

"I get it," Emily nodded, "motive to solve this right?"

"Yeah," Ali allowed herself to laugh, "that's one way to look at it."

"What are we going to do? All I know is that if I was some kind of investigator-,"

"Like on crime tv?"

"Yes, don't judge, just hear me out okay?"

"Okay, okay," Alison sat back and conceded.

"You can laugh after but aside from Michael, we have three suspects now."

"Three? How do you figure?"

"Reyes. Officer Toby Cavanaugh and now Valerie. And who knows, she's close to Aria and Aryn, they could be in on it too."

"Okay well I'm still reluctant to believe that Joshua had anything to do with this, Em he helped me escape for god's sake."

"Yeah, I know but...think about this for a moment will you?"

"Okay, give me something to think about."

Emily thought for a moment about how to phrase this; she had to be careful how she approached this because she had no idea how Ali would react.

"I'm waiting."

"Yeah, of course, right, sorry. Alison look, I know what you've told me about Reyes and I've met him - he's great - but I don't know him really: where he's from, who he is, his family, what he's done with his life before you've known him. And now that I really think about it - you know, putting aside my initial impression of him - I have to ask myself why it was so easy for him to get away and with you. How after such a long time you were found and put in here. How was he able to work here with you, how did he get assigned to my case? Why is he suddenly gone? And I don't want to undo the friendship you've built with him, but this is just my perspective."

Alison had gone quiet, pensive in thought, absorbed in the past and how much what Emily was saying was making sense. How could she have been so stupid? So blind?

"God, I'm an idiot aren't I?"

"What? No, no you're not, Ali don't think like that?"

"Like what?! Apparently I wasn't thinking at all Emily? I feel so stupid. How was I manipulated by one man and then another without discerning the two? I let them both use me, and I believed in Reyes, I thought I owed everything to him, he was my best friend."

"Woah Ali, now you need to calm down. Listen okay, I know what he's done for you, and I've talked to him plenty of times, there's an explanation to him."

"Yeah, like what? You can't put him as your 'number one' and then tell me to calm down when I actually start to believe that he was working with Michael this whole time."

"Wait, please, you're going to make both our heads explode. Think about this now, for a minute okay? I see two ways he was involved."

"Well get on with it before I ask Grey where he is so I can rip his throat out myself."

"Okay, okay, so here's what I've been thinking, Reyes was involved from the start but getting you away from Michael had to have been for something personal, although I don't know why they would be scheming anything to begin with. So it's either that or somehow over the years, Michael got Josh to help him even after all the time he spent with you."

"And how would he do that? I trusted him, there was no sign that he was going to betray me so how could he get Reyes to do what he wants?"

"Easy, the same way he manipulated Hanna."

"So blackmail."

"Yeah, blackmail, so Michael had to have had something on Reyes, something that would make him betray you."

"Reyes knew me, I practically told him everything. If he decided to betray me, he would've known how much that would hurt, I don't know why he wouldn't have told me."

"People do crazy things all the time, Ali. Especially if it's for someone they love. Do you know of anyone from Reyes' past that he would do anything to protect?"

"No, no one, when we visited his family, they were planning on moving back to Mexico, before that, no one even knew that Reyes had a family. To tell you the truth, his family wasn't even legal. His parents and grandmother came here a year before he was born, they stayed in Southern California where he was born but when he turned 18 they took off. That's all I really know until I saw them again. They were going to go back to Mexico because - oh my god."

"What? Alison what?"

"His abuela, Isabel. She was sick something with her lungs was bugging her but also she had a drinking problem from a long time ago, the effects finally caught up with her and she was going to need a liver transplant."

"Well what was stopping them?"

"Money and insurance and the fact that they didn't have papers."

"Well if they didn't have papers, how was Reyes able to get into the academy."

"I - I don't know. I never thought about it. I met him when I visited Micheal at work, he was new and Michael was 'showing him the ropes' told everyone that Josh was going to be a great cop."

"Philanthropy doesn't seem to fit Michael's character but he would have to had known who Josh was."

"How good is your lawyer at super snooping?"

"Not sure, she asked if in a few hours you could make a call to her and tell her what you know, I imagine everything we discuss now should help her somehow."

Alison nodded, and breathed and nodded and breathed again, "okay, okay. But we can't just jump to any conclusions -,"

"I know Ali, I know this is hard for you and I hope that we're both being paranoid and he's not as involved as he looks."

"Yeah," she whispered, "yeah, me too."

"What time are we getting out of here?"

"Well you have a few months but in here for a few years, attempted mur-,"

"The library, I meant in here," Em waved her hands around gesturing the space around them, "in here Ali." She was trying not to be taken aback by how long Alison would have to remain in here if they didn't find

"Oh, right, yeah I knew that...well they have a new guy coming in, and since there's only two of us, they're sending him in soon, I overheard the walkies. So depending on if he's going to be a hardass or a pushover, we could have the whole length of our shift to do whatever we want."

"Well then let's point the finger at the other two until we see who we're going to be working with."

"Emily can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"You have to promise me that you'll be absolutely honest."

"Of course."

"Do you really think that we can pull this off?" Emily opened her mouth but snapped it back shut when Ali cut her off, "And...don't say yes so fast - please - because I have a feeling that's what you're going to do, just think about first."

Emily dropped her hands and filled her cheeks with air before exhaling it loudly, "yes."

"What? Emily I asked you-,"

"And I thought about it, and my answer is yes. That's not going to change, no matter how long I think about it."

"You're sure?" There was a slight crack in Ali's voice and Emily felt the same crack in her chest.

"Yes, I am."

"How? There's no way to know how to do any of this. I mean look at us, two women in prison, your best friend, and a lawyer; what match is that against a guy like Michael."

"Just...just have some hope will you?"

"Hope? Emily do you know what they say about hope?"

"No, but it's always good to have it."

"Well I think it just breeds eternal misery."

Emily just looked at Alison and she couldn't help but feel bad. She shouldn't have because she knew that's not what Alison wanted but she still just felt bad. A sorry way to describe what she felt about the pain she imagined this woman going through when she was still so young. She couldn't fathom living through that kind of hell, but her she was, forcing herself to live through it through another person's words and the broken look she tried to hide in her eyes.

Em didn't even know what to say in response. Being positive about this might only earn her another quip from Alison that revealed more of the blonde's character than she was letting on.

"Emily," Ali sounded like she was tired and maybe she was just tired of fighting off how scared she was of trying to do this. Maybe none of this would've happened if she had just kept her distance, if she didn't help Emily that night or start to care about her or any of it. If she had just stuck to the tedious life in here that she was growing accustomed to... "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Emily didn't understand why Ali was apologizing again, why was she always saying sorry for how she was acting or what she would say. All of it was a result of a single man, a coward, a monster who had hurt her time and time again. It wasn't her fault so why was she apologizing?

"For...snapping just now and being so pessimistic, I know you don't have to help me or even be kind to me yet here you are and I should be so upset when you suggest things or talk about ending this, I'm sorry."

"No."

"No? Emily, I'm trying to apolo-,"

"I know you are, and that's why I'm saying no. You need to stop apologizing for how you feel. Stop saying sorry for who you are, who you were and who you want to be. Stop thinking that any of this is your fault because it's not. I don't blame you for any of it," the looked gaze between them was intense and it shot straight to Alison's stomach.

No one has ever looked at her the way she was being looked at: like she was important to someone else. Like who she was was good enough, she was wasn't bad or useless or just someone's daughter, someone's girlfriend.

Emily looked at her like she was worth a damn fighting for.

"Could you ever love a person like me?" Alison spurted, fueled on her own adrenaline.

"What," Emily asked, confused and clearly caught of guard.

"God, I'm stupid, I don't know why I asked you that, I'm stupid just- just forget I asked it, I don't what I was thinking, I -,"

"Woah, calm down, please, calm down, Alison, I heard you, and I can't unhear you."

Alison cringed and bit her lip, turning her head away from Emily's direction.

"Alison, you just asked me if I could love a person like you, and I think you really wanted to ask if I could ever love you?" Nothing but silence came from Alison and Emily sighed, "I'll take that as a yes. Now if I could ever love you? You want to know what I think?"

Alison was tempted to turn around but she was only certain Em would say no, reject the idea that someone so pure and loyal and brave could ever love someone who was the complete opposite.

"You don't have to say anything Em-,"

"My answer is yes, I think I could."

Alison turned back around then, with a face that read disbelief, "what?"

"I think yes, that I could love you, I could easily fall in love with you."

"No..what? Why? I don't even know why I asked-,"

"Maybe you do, maybe you don't but I do."

"And how could you possibly know that?"

"I just do and maybe in time you will know too."

"No, you don't know that and you don't know that you could love me. I'm no good."

"Well that's what you think but that's not what I think. And who knows, maybe there are parts of you that you don't like, but there are parts of ourselves that we all don't like, that doesn't mean that those are the only parts that people see, that doesn't mean people only see one side of another person either. Alison, I could love you because so far, I like all the parts of you I have seen. You just have to meet me half way and love those parts of you you're still hiding."

Alison shook her head, Emily was just too good to be true, someone like her shouldn't exist, especially not her in presence. She doesn't want to taint someone like Emily, doesn't want to implement a dark stain on her life.

"Could you love me," Emily asked, turning the question over.

"Yeah I could." Alison answered without thinking hard at all, and she took a deep breath.

"Now is it your turn to tell me why?" Emily was only being coy but Alison was already wrapped in the raging hormones and chemical signals her brain was decoding that she answered Emily almost as quickly.

"Because I think I already do."

If Emily was drinking or chewing anything, she was certain she would've started to choke.

"You what?"

"Crazy, I know, but like you said, we can be toxic for each other, so maybe that's what we are, toxic and I'm infected by you, by just the idea of us. I know I could love you because I think I already do. I've fallen in love with the way you talk when you're passionate, the way your brows knit when you're worried and I know I would love the way you would act outside of these walls, in your own element. I know I could love you because you're the only person I've met who just wants me to love myself first."

"I - I don't know - I don't know what to say." Emily swallowed.

"You don't have to say anything, I know I sprung it on you out of nowhere, but I'm taking a chance with you, I have nothing left to lose. Just...can you make me a promise?"

"Um, I guess that depends."

"Can you promise me that even if none of this works out and you get out long before me, can you promise that when I do eventually get out...can you promise me that date still?"

"Alison, I -,"

"Just one date, even if you find someone and have a life, just as...friends, I guess, can you promise me a date?"

Emily was nodding before she had even said anything, "okay, I promise. One date."

A sigh fell from Ali's lips and she tried not to let her smile eat her face, "one date."

x-x-x-x

"Do you know this Valerie? Last name? Where she's from, how she got in there?"

"No Hastings," Alison moaned, "I told you everything I know and everything Emily knows." She had been on the phone for 7 of her 15 minutes of paid for speaking privileges explaining in a hushed tone what she knew. "Apparently she was with two others - who are also here - in some sort of aggravated protest a while back. They took the heat for breaking and entering and stealing a clean energy company's files and sending them in to a local paper and having them published online. Other than that I don't know, Em said that the Montgomery girl was the one who approached her but she swears that she's clean."

"Okay just see if Emily can get any more information, I'll look up the incident online and look up their names and use my connections to get into their personal files, see if anything links them to California."

"Okay and what else should we do? What about Reyes? Did you see if you could find where he's been?" Alison hated asking for help but if Spencer Hastings was as trustworthy as Emily and Hanna said, then she was going to have to trust her.

"The only thing I could find on him was that he put in a request for a leave of absence two days ago, I guess he finally had it granted. I managed to use what Hanna had here of Caleb's things to gain access to the prison guards' schedule and his name doesn't appear until Monday."

"Monday? That's five days, who requests a set amount of time off?"

"A someone with an agenda," Spencer concluded and when Alison merely hummed, she continued, "tell me again what Emily heard from Val when she was on the phone."

"Uh, right, well Emily said that Val was talking about another person not knowing anything, said 'she doesn't know' and then she said something about another girl about how 'she's involved with a guard that works here. Those are the important bits. But it's pretty clear she's talking about me and Emily."

"Okay, well we can't rule out everything else."

"Everything else? I'm sorry but what else could there be?"

"Is there any chance that Val could've been talking about someone else?"

"Spencer I don't know how much you know about what it's like in here but it's not like everyone are friends and we sit and gossip around a campfire about everyone's personal lives and shit. I don't know 98 percent of the people in here and now I'm starting to question a big part of the only 2% I actually do know. So if I or Emily had anything else to tell you at this point, you would know it by now." Alison heart rate had picked up and she soon huffing, her hand angrily wrapped around the phone until her knuckles were white."

"Okay, you're right, I'm sorry. It was insensitive of me to think or imply that you were withholding any information that could help not only Hanna and Emily, but you as well. I'm sorry."

Alison took a deep breath and clenched her jaw, "it's okay. I've been trying to work on my people skills, Emily said I could be abrasive sometimes, and I know we're not talking in public but that doesn't mean I should be so...so -,"

"Bitchy?"

"Yeah," she laughed, "bitchy," but she realized that the voice wasn't the lawyer's. "Wait what? Is that...wait," Alison paused, "have I been on speaker the whole time?"

Hanna's laughter was heard and Alison groaned, "great."

"Yup, hello Alison."

"Hello Hanna."

"Sorry you didn't know but after the whole 'she doesn't have that much time and neither do we' lecture, I agreed to shutup while you two spoke, but I wanted it on speaker, I don't like hearing secondhand."

"Straight from the horse's mouth, I get it."

"Yeah, so I zipped the lip and let you two just talk."

"I imagine if your best friend was here, she would say that it was hard to believe."

"Wow, I'm insulted. You're lucky this is a phone call or else I'd slap you."

"Why?"

"Because you insulted me and I think you're wrong, Emily would be proud."

"Well at the rate she's going, you can slap me when we get out."

"Ah, I see," Hanna understood exactly what happened, "she got to you."

"Yeah, she did. Is she always like this?"

"Like what? Only managing to see the good? Always accepting the bad and saying it's not that bad?"

"Yeah, like that."

"There have been Emily's darker moments, there's no denying that, but she's been there for everyone in her life, no matter how hard the situation or what is or isn't asked of her, you can always count on Em to pull you out of a bad spot."

"I figured, I was just...thanks."

"Yeah."

Alison was moments from saying she'd try to find out any more info soon when Hanna cleared her throat.

"Hey Alison?"

"Yeah?"

"I suppose since Em's parents are in Hawaii and still have no idea what's going on and seeing that she's the only child and all, I feel it's my job as her best friend as well as the idiot who got her into this mess to let you know that if you hurt her in any way...well I don't think there's enough room for two bitchy blondes in there, you understand?"

Alison coughed and smiled at the notion, "I do."

"What? Just like that? No arguing, no denial?"

"Why would I deny anything, I like Emily, I like her a lot and I think that if we had met someplace else then you or maybe her parents would still be giving me this speech."

"Huh," Hanna huffed, "that was easier than I thought."

"Yeah it was, and I wouldn't argue with you or try to fight if I hurt it. Anyone who hurts her would deserve a good ass-whopin. I support that."

"Well then, looks my job here is done."

"Okay you two, we can braid hair when this is over. Alison, I'll transfer money into your account so you can have more time to speak and we'll talk again in a few days...no more than five okay?"

"Okay, I got it, I'll go tell Emily, bye."

"Bye."

"Wait." It was Hanna again.

"Yes Hanna?"

"You could be good for her Alison. I think you might believe that that's not true, but when Emily was talking to me about you - shit, don't tell her I told you - but she sounded happy, like she really liked you liked you, and I know she cares about doing the right thing. But if you know that she likes you and you find out that you don't feel the same-,"

"Hanna, I-,"

"If you think that it won't work, then you know you have to let her-,"

"Hanna I think I love her."

"Oh." Both Spencer and Hanna said looking at each other with wide eyes.

"Shit, don't tell her I told you," Alison said in a mocking tone.

"Alison did you just-,"

"Time's up! Bye."

That left Hanna and Spencer still staring at each and then the phone, "well.."

"Well...what the fuck was that?"

x-x-x-x

Alison walked back to the library deep in silence and even deeper in thought. She was thankful for the way everyone else had stayed away and indirectly build this image of her. Untouchable, someone to not mess with. She had arrived as a broken mess and strangers rebuilt her.

The library was her own, it was the one place the untouchable woman with the mysterious past remained untouchable; it gave her a chance to stay away from anyone that might see through the charade.

Anyone but Emily.

In the past few days it had become a sanctuary for her and Emily. The grounds in which their unorthodox relationship started to form. A seed was planted that day she stepped in for Emily in the shower, and it budded soon after.

Alison argued with herself that it was too soon, too early to feel the way she felt about someone she has only known for little over a week. Was it crazy for her to feel so connected to someone, was it sane to crave someone else's company that much?

Maybe, but it was worth it. Alison decided a chance at any sort of life where Emily was involved was worth whatever it would cost.

The train of thought made its stop at the door Alison had seen everyday. A light laminated wooden door with a fogged glass pane in the upper center, gold foil paint with the letters L- -B-R- -R-Y.

Behind this door she had been herself more of herself than any other time in her life. And now it was with someone who understood and accepted her.

"Emily, it's me."

"Back here," Em called, "I'm in our spot."

Alison passed the new guard - whatever his name was - and met up with Emily, "_our_ spot?"

"Oh, hey. Um, yeah," Emily scratched at the back of her head, "our spot. I mean we can call it something else but I just thought that since we spend a lot of time here and we talk here that maybe it could be more than just the back part of the dusty book room we call the library."

"Or the lbrry as the door suggests," Alison pointed over her shoulder and laughed.

"Good one, but our spot seems to be just fine if you don't mind."

"I don't," Alison nodded.

"Well then, welcome to our place." Emily held out her arms and gestured at the 10 square feet of space they had, "it smells, it's dimly lit there's bad air circulation here but in this tiny hole in the wall, we are in our own place."

"For now."

"Yeah, for now," Em agreed, "...you know for a second there, you almost sounded-,"

"What?"

"Did I detect a hint of hopefulness?"

"No," Alison said with a slight lilt in her voice that Emily picked up easily.

"You're lying," Emily sang. And when Alison made a thin line with her lips, Emily pushed.

"Admit you're lying Ali."

"Or what," Ali shrugged.

"I don't know, but it'll be good."

"Well if it's good, then it shouldn't matter if I was lying or not, right?"

"No, don't twist this, just tell me you were lying."

"You're not going to give up are you?"

"Nope."

"Fine, you stubborn ass. I was lying."

"What? You mumbled that last bit," Emily teased, holding her hand cupped around her ear.

"I was lying."

"Nope, I think the fans are blowing really loudly in here."

"I. was. lying. Okay? God, you're difficult. I was being hopeful. I don't know what it is about you but you change me Emily. You make me abandon who I was and make me feel like it's okay to just be me, I don't have to filter myself for you. There!"

"Alison-,"

"No, no, sorry, Emily, I'm sorry. I've been on edge all day. It's unfair but I just - you know all of this, this is all crazy and I guess I'm just trying to swallow it you know? I don't mean to be like this, I think it's just my brain trying to compensate for this happening."

"Are you sure it's just this?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be? Wait, why, what were you thinking?" Alison wondered if somehow Hanna got to Em before she did. No, that was impossible.

"Nothing Ali, nothing at all."

"Okay so now what do you want to do? Go to some crap lunch? Walk around to see the depressing sight of dirt and dead grass?"

"Mmm, no," Emily tapped her chin, "I was thinking that we could break into Grey's office and steal the files on my group of so-called friends before she gets back from her hour long lunch."

"What? Emily how do you know that?"

"I'm an excellent snooper."

"Yeah, I can see, but Emily we can't do that, you know how much trouble we'll get in if we get caught? You're being irrational."

"If, that's an if."

"No, we can't."

"We can if you agree to be the lookout?"

"No. No I won't. And I won't let you," Ali crossed her arms but was equally met with a pouting Emily.

"Is this how you get what you want?"

"No, but it could be part of it." Emily just shrugged and continued to look expectantly with wide eyes.

"Ugh."

"So is this you saying yes?"

"If I mumble, you'll make me scream it again won't you."

"Maybe, I can't make any promises."

"Fine, fine, I'll be your lookout, but I swear we better not get caught."

"Trust me, I had a rebellious stage. And me used to be very, very good at picking locks."

"Should I ask why?"

"Later. I'll tell you all about it when we get what we need."

"Alright then, superhero, let's go."

"You'll be my trusty sidekick?"

"If we get caught, trust that I will give you a nice side kick to the ass okay?"

"Fair enough."

"Well, what the hell are you waiting for? It's one-twenty. She'll be back soon."

"Well then Robin, let's go."

"Shit, I don't feel good about this, Batman."

"See, it's official now, we're a ass-kicking duo."

"Oh god, you're a child."

"Yeah, but a child who gets what she wants. Don't believe me? Just watch."

_**AN: So not too much action in this chapter ;) I just wanted a build up and I hope I delivered. I know you have questions and I know many of you made the connections, stay tuned for the next chapter.**_

_**Well please leave your thoughts, comments and reviews... You know what to do babes. xo Lina**_


	17. Chapter 16

_Chapter 16 - Not What You Think_

_**AN: ugh my baby, i miss this damn story...I'm pissed at myself for taking TWO MONTHS to post a damn update. Anyways, I hope I don't disappoint. Love you all, this is kind of a shorter update because of some storyline changes I made, so if it seems flat, I apologize, the pace will be back up in the next update, anyways, I'm looking forward to what you guys have to say about what you think is going to unfold.**_

**x-x-x-x-x**

**No One's POV**

"Batman and Robin? And you thought that was a good idea?"

"Hanna, calm down, it's just a nickname, but I don't know, I thought it was kind of-,"

"What? Oh god, Em. No, please. Please don't say 'cute'."

"Why not," Em pulled the phone away and looked at it as if she was looking directly at her best friend.

"I was just thinking-,"

"That sounds dangerous," Em cracked.

"Ha ha," Hanna retorted full of sarcasm, "I'm serious Em, I was."

"Okay," Emily sighed, "and what did you come up with in that mighty mind of yours?"

"I'm worried," Hanna let out into the phone.

Emily looked around and leaned closer to the wall, "worried? What are you worried about?"

"This, all of this. Look, I know I basically just gave you and Alison the best friend seal of approval, but things are starting to get too complicated and coincidental at the same time, I don't know, but I just don't want to see you get stuck in the cross-hairs of all of this."

"You've been hanging out with our lawyer too much," Emily tried to joke, hearing the way Hanna was talking about this.

"I'm not laughing at this one Em, I'm serious, okay? I don't know what we're going to find but I know I'm not going to like it if anything points to Alis-,"

"It won't."

"How do you know that?" Emily dropped her head and took a deep breath, Hanna picturing the look on Em's face right now.

"You still don't trust her?"

"I don't know yet, she's at the center of everything and I don't-,"

"Do you trust me," Emily cut her off.

Hanna didn't have to waste another second thinking about how to answer, "yes. Of course, with my life, Em."

"Okay, then trust me when I say that I know that I can trust her. Have I been wrong about trusting someone before?"

Hanna tried to think...well there was the time with Ben in high school, but Emily used him to see if she could see if she really was-

"Hanna," as if Emily could read her best friend's mind from miles away, "Ben and Paige didn't count. We all knew Ben was an asshole and you know why I put up with his shit and dated him. And Paige...well she was the one wrong about me."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, I said okay. I've known you for too long to start questioning your judgments now. If you trust her, then I will too, because I trust you."

"Just like that?" Emily was happy. Surprised, yet happy. But she was still expecting some resistance from her best friend.

"Just like that Em, I feel like I've known you my whole life, and I need your ass out here again. You're going to be my maid of honor and plan my wedding when we get Caleb back too."

"Is this you asking?"

"Um, I don't know...is it? I didn't think I had to."

"You didn't...I mean you don't have to," Emily laughed, too happy at the proposition to remember their little 'argument'. "So, have you told your mom yet?"

"No."

"What? Why not? C'mon you two have been hiding the engagement for months, you know how confusing it's been for me? I was calling you boyfriend-girlfriend, fiances, I need to be concrete now, and I can't be slipping up around your mom."

"Well good thing you're getting out soon, I know you suck at keeping secrets."

Emily closed her eyes, "when I get out," she repeated more for herself than for Hanna's ears.

"It's going to be okay Em, I don't know why I was freaking out, I just really want Caleb home, I want you both home."

"Well it's been two weeks for him, and just over a week for me...I can't even imagine if-,"

"Then don't."

"You're right," Emily looked around. The real reason she called Hanna was to find out if Spencer had any details on Reyes again, there was still a chance that he could've switched shifts or just up and left altogether.

"So Spencer just got here."

"Okay, what did she get?"

"Hold on," Hanna put the phone down and called Spencer over.

"Hello, Emily?"

"Yeah?"

"Okay, we don't have a lot of time, I called and asked about Reyes, I pretended to be his girlfriend and asked when his lunch break was so I could drop off food. Apparently he's coming in today at 11."

"That's late...isn't it?"

"Yes, very. I have a team of my grad students from UPenn checking out his activity for the past few days."

"What? How is that?"

"I help teach a post grad student immersion program where they basically get on paid internships to do the grunt work, get their hands dirty and do what I say."

"How is that legal?"

Spencer scoffed, "have you seen How to Get Away With Murder? Shonda knows her stuff, it isn't all made up."

"What?" Emily had no clue what she was talking about.

"Ok well anyways, they think Joshua Reyes is a case study. They're not allowed to look where I don't tell them and they'll fail if they try to contact him."

"Spencer, that sounds dangerous and you still didn't tell me if it was legal or not? How do we know that they won't go and tell him?"

"Any breach of contract results in their automatic failure and all those years studying will have gone down the drain, no school or employer would want them...believe me, they are highly motivated to do as I say."

"So if you say to jump-,"

"They will ask me how high." There was a know-it-all quality in the tone of the lawyer's voice and although it was concerning a bit to Emily, she was just glad that it was working in her favor. She couldn't imagine being on the opposing side in a courtroom.

But still, Emily didn't like the idea of even more people getting involved with this mess.

"What happened to keeping a lid on it?"

"Emily, I'm sorry, but if Michael Richards is behind all of this, then he opened for a can of pain and tossed the lid, he's going to get what's coming to him. I will use all the resources I have to get him behind bars for a very long time."

"Okay," Emily sighed after what seemed like minutes, "if Hanna trusts you with this, then so do I."

"Good, and don't worry about the legality of the situation okay, I'm the lawyer and the less you and these kids know, the better."

"Whatever you say."

"See, you're already sounding like my interns," the lawyer joked successfully.

"Okay, okay, thank you for doing this."

"Well remember that I am charging you," she laughed, "not as much as I normally would, but nonetheless, you're welcome."

"Speaking of charge," Em laughed back, "did you put money on Ali's books?"

"Yes, I will transfer the amount you asked for after this phone call. You sure you want to do this, you know there's no going back. I don't have the resources to break the digital trail if you decide to do a direct wire transfer."

"I'm sure. Unless you have an alternative option that gets it to her the fastest?" Emily proposed, knowing that she had already thought of ways to get the money from her account to Alison's.

"I could take out the deposit as cash and mail it or take it into there directly and put it in her account but that will take me some time, I have a meeting with my class tonight."

"No, it's okay, just do what I said the first time unless like I said, you can find something faster."

"Well, your personal accounts were frozen until you get out, but the account your dad opened for you in case of emergencies is open and the revenue from your's and Hanna's business is also open. It would be even more clear as day to see where that money goes though, so in case this doesn't work out, it's not going to look good but on the other hand, it's the fastest."

"No, leave that money in our business accounts there, half is Hanna's and we need that to keep everything up and running. And if I pull money from my dad's account, he'll come home beyond worried with the cavalry right behind him."

"Ok, note taken, leave the the daddy bucks alone, I got it, but with the success of the expansion-,"

"I said no," Emily declared firmly. She didn't want to sound so forceful, but it was important that the money that her and Hanna both worked for remained untouched for any other reason than to keep their business running.

"Okay," Spencer conceded, "a no it is. I won't bring it up again, and I'm sorry if I overstepped-,"

"You didn't," Emily took a breath to get her emotions in check. "This man has taken enough away from Hanna, I would never even for once think of taking from what we worked so hard for, even if half is mine, he doesn't get to do that."

"Understood. You're a good person Emily."

"Thank you Spencer, I think I need to 'reload my minutes' again and I've heard it can take a day or two, hopefully sooner though. If not, I think Ali can call on her account."

"Okay, well Hanna is calling Caleb's ex-employers again so I'll tell her you said goodbye."

"Alright, thank you."

"Was there anything else?"

Emily thought for a moment and then nodded, taking a moment to realize that Spencer couldn't see her, "actually yes, what time is Reyes' lunch break?"

"Oh, right. Of course. Um, the man I spoke to told me he'll have two, one at 3:30 and another for dinner at 8:00. He's been cut on hours for overnight stays, so he should be off at midnight. That's all I was able to get before they really started to ask questions."

"Okay, I think we can work around that, we have 'work' at 2 to 6 and then dinner is at 7:30 to 8:45, we'll be cutting it close no matter what window we decide to take..."

"What about when he's getting off?"

"No, it'll be too hard for us to sneak out."

"Shit, you're right. Well, whatever you decide, I hope it works, contact us when you can."

"Will do. Take care of Hanna for me."

"Hanna is doing a fine job of that on her own, but I'll do my best."

"Okay, wish us luck."

"Good luck and it's barely 8:30, so you have 2 and a half hours to find some more luck."

"I better go then."

"Bye Emily, take care, I hope you find out if this bastard is lying or not."

"So do I, I have a date I need to get to soon."

And before Spencer could ask, Emily hung up with a smirk on her face.

"What did you just say?" Ali came around the corner, eyebrows knitted.

"Nothing," Emily chuckled, "let's just get ready."

x-x-x-x-x

"So we have two opportunities?" Alison rubbed the sweat on her palms against the thick cotton pants she had no choice but to wear everyday.

"Well no, we have one...all we have is two options for when we want this to all go down."

"So what do you want to do?"

"I don't know, I already blew off that 'meeting' with Val and the others yesterday. I say the sooner the better?"

"Okay," Ali nodded, looking around them, "so what's the plan?"

"I'm not sure, I was just hoping something would come to me by now."

"And?"

"Nothing," Emily shook her head.

"Okay," Ali breathed, "well maybe after we eat something, then we can figure it out."

"Yeah," Em shuffled the rest of the way to the cafeteria. It was much like the cafeteria in high school, -even in college - and there were still all of the same distinguishable cliques: the all-stars, the know-it alls, the jocks, the outcasts, the loners, and then there was Emily, with her...

"Em?"

"Yeah Alison?"

Ali giggled a shy laugh into her shoulder and pointed, "you want toast or a biscuit?"

"Oh," Emily looked at her tray and then the angry inmate working in the kitchen as a server, "um, I'll take the toast."

The woman, about 55 with red hair grunted and rolled her eyes, flipping a piece of toast on Em's tray.

"You're cheeks are red," Ali said without meaning to.

"Ugh, I can feel it, sorry, I was just thinking."

"I know, I could tell, hence me calling your name a few times before you jumped off your train of thoughts."

"Yeah," Emily scratched behind her head with one hand, "thanks."

"It's nothing...so you sitting with me today?"

The question startled them both. Neither knew why Ali asked. Alison found herself feeling how she always imagined she would feel when she-

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Emily looked at Ali like it was such a bizarre question, like she asked what color the sky was. Well blue of course, just like yours, Em thought to the Alison in her subconscious.

"Well because," Ali said with a pink tint in her cheeks, "your posse over there gave me the crazy eye."

"Who?" Emily turned around and was instantly met with 3 sets of eyes: Aryn, Aria and Val. Even Bubbles was with them today, looking Emily and Alison's way too. Where Bubbles was curious, everyone else looked scornful...and disapproving.

"Oh, them."

"Yeah," Ali pursed her lips and stopped at her table. It was only hers, because after a while, no one sat with her, she didn't even know why.

"Well, no, I'm not sitting with them today," Emily waved and smiled like it was nothing and then sat down right across from Alison, "I'm sitting with you, and I don't care who's looking or judging."

Alison swallowed and allowed this feeling to bloom in her stomach, she wasn't even sure that it was really even there. She hasn't this in a long time, she was...happy? Yes, that was it, she was happy. In all places.

She turned to Emily and a grin spread across her face. If there wasn't this table between us I would-

"You'd what?" Emily looked up from her almost colorless food and raised an eyebrow.

"What," Alison spat. Again? Shit.

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking, it sounded like you said-"

"No, no I didn't."

"But I didn't even say anything." Emily was confused now. Picking up her toast and then putting it back down.

"What?" Alison asked defensively when she seen Emily looking at her carefully.

"Nothing, it's just...that _your _cheeks are red now."

Alison coughed and cleared her throat, "well um, that's because I swallowed some food and it went down the wrong way."

Emily looked down at Alison's tray and smiled smugly, "but you haven't touched your food."

Alison didn't want to panic, why did it feel like she was panicking, was it getting hotter in here or what?

"It only appears that way because this oatmeal is all one mush, so taking a small scoop didn't leave an indent, it's too watery to-,"

"It's okay Ali, I'm only teasing."

Relieved, Alison emptied her lungs, "teasing, right, of course. I knew that."

"Uh huh." Emily flicked some crumbs from the table in Alison's direction and picked up her toast again, this time successfully able to take a bite out of it. "Hmm, good call on the toast, I just seen someone bite into the biscuit."

Alison scoffed, "bite? Wait, you mean their teeth made it all the way through?" The blonde turned around dramatically to see the kitchen food's newest victim.

"Alison, stop." Emily reached across the table and instinctively grabbed her hand.

Alison stopped instantly and whipped her head to look at their hands, her body following suit.

"Oh, um," Emily stammered as she quickly drew her hand away and back into her lap.

Her other hand rubbed the back of her neck and without making eye contact, she apologized, "uh, sorry about that."

But Alison didn't like that Emily was apologizing for grabbing her hand, everything felt...natural, it wasn't forced and the only reason Emily didn't hold back was because she wasn't worried about doing something wrong.

"No," Ali took a pause before standing slightly to grab Emily's hand that was now back on the table, "it's okay."

Emily's mouth opened and shut but nothing came out. She shook her head and then half smiled, letting an exasperated breath release, "oh."

"Oh?"

"Um," Emily laughed, "yes, oh."

"Is that a good oh?" Alison raised an eyebrow and experimentally started to draw her hand away.

Emily placed her other hand over Alison's making a sandwich and smiled a full smile this time, "it is a good oh. It's a great oh."

"Oh," Ali replied, laughing because now neither of them could stop it.

Emily noted the way Alison's eyes literally seemed to light up. They seemed a new shade of blue: bright and calm, clear and deep. Serene, peaceful. It was the first time in the short amount of time that she'd known the woman that she truly looked happy.

Emily told herself that she wants to see this same very look more often.

Alison swallowed and her hand twitched between the warmth of Emily's. They looked down, then at each other and slowly drew there hands away, looking around. Some people were looking but mostly everyone was minding their own business.

When they looked at each other again, they giggled...like little school girls. An impossible juxtaposition between the harsh reality of where they were to the pure and soft innocence they felt in each other's presence.

No one was there to call them both out this time...both of their cheeks were burning bright red now.

"Um," Ali said breaking the silence, "so you should eat. We need a plan before Reyes gets here."

"Right," Emily held a fork up of supposed egg and tilted her head, "you should eat too."

"Yeah, right, eat." Ali mimicked Emily and held up her spoon with a grey glob of supposed oatmeal.

"A toast," Emily said, "to us. May we find everyone who is involved with the shit we've all been through and bring them to justice."

"To us," Ali repeated in agreement, "may we get the fuck out of here and get some real food."

"Mmm, agreed, some pizza."

"Yes, pizza."

And then breathing it in together, "pepperoni."

Laughs came and went and when it was quiet between them again, Emily held up her food once more, "haha maybe I should've used this for our...toast."

She waited for the effect and Ali looked up with her spoon still in her mouth and started coughing, literally choking on her food, seriously this time.

"Oh god, Alison, breathe." Emily stood to help but Ali held her hand out and pointed her finger down.

"Sit," she rasped, rubbing her throat.

Emily looked guiltily at the blonde and bit her lower lip, "are you okay? I'm so sorry."

Ali scowled playfully, "yeah I'll be fine. Are you sure you wanted to open a bakery next to your shop?"

"Yes," Em tread, "why?"

"Why? Well," Ali said mockingly, "you should get into stand-up."

Emily rolled her eyes, "ha ha, sarcasm, cute. I said I was sorry didn't I?"

"I guess."

"Ali, really, are you okay?" Past the jokes and laughter, Ali could see that Emily was actually really worried about her.

"Yes," she answered confidently to ease the brunette, "I'm fine."

"Okay, I'm sorry, it was just a stupid pun, I honestly didn't think you'd laugh, let alone choke."

"It's okay, it was...," does she dare herself? Yes, "punny."

Emily dropped her toast and covered her mouth to keep from roaring into a stupid laughter.

"Wow totally original."

"What? Are you kidding me? You're laughing at me?"

"Yes, and the fact that you tried to make a joke...again."

"Tried? I did make the joke, it was funny."

"Not as much as you think," Emily winked. "Besides you said that one already."

Ali rolled her eyes because Em was right, she did say that before, but Emily had laughed the first time.

"Ugh, you're mean."

"Am not," Em shrugged.

"Ew and I thought you said your friend Hanna could be childish."

"She can be."

"Okay, we'll see. Are we going to eat or what?" Ali checked the clock, "it'll be time to go before I actually get to swallow any of this, so I don't think we can afford to play with our food any longer."

"Yes, yes we'll eat, mom."

Ali nudged Emily with her foot under the table and shook her head as to say don't call me that again.

The playful banter ended when Emily bit into her toast, chewed for a second and spit it out in her napkin, "I've actually fallen off my bike and had gravel in my mouth with less of a grainy texture."

Alison chuckled and nodded, "when I had the toast I said to myself that cardboard had more flavor."

"Cardboard?"

"Yeah."

"You've eaten cardboard."

"What? No!"

"Sure, I think you just admitted that you did though."

"I did not! I was just saying-"

"It's okay, I'm not judging," Emily teased with a knowing grin on her face, "just promise me you'll let me cook for you when we get out."

"Deal," they shook on it, "and I've never eaten cardboard, "Ali defended, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"It's okay, sriracha goes with everything, I can get you the finest slices of cardboard you have ever had."

"Emily!"

x-x-x-x-x

"So that's the plan? That's what we're sticking with?"

Emily shrugged at Alison, "it's all I could think of, do you have something else in mind?"

"No, I don't but-,"

"We don't have the luxury of time here Alison."

"I know, I know. You're right."

Emily placed her hand on Alison's shoulder, "it's going to be alright."

"Okay," Ali said, but she was far from it.

Em noticed the worry in her eyes, "do you want to hear it again?"

Alison looked up at brown eyes with a little plea, "please?"

"Sure." Emily walked a few paces ahead into their 'cubicle' turned bedroom and sat down, patting the space beside her, "c'mere."

Ali looked around, still wary about showing anyone in this place that she had something good...someone good. She felt a cross between protective and possessive that in spite of her situation, there was still some light at the end of her tunnel.

She walked towards Emily and made sure no one was close enough, just in case there were eavesdroppers.

"Okay," Emily started, "we'll try to get Val and Reyes at dinner."

"Right," Ali was still looking around, "he should be here now."

"It's okay, as long as he doesn't try to get you alone again."

Alison's eyes darted back and forth frantically still and she told herself to relax when Em's squeezed the top of her knee.

"It's going to be okay."

"You don't know that."

"Okay, no...I don't," Emily admitted honestly, "but that doesn't mean it's not worth a shot okay? I get to Val, get her to see me alone and I ask her."

"Just ask her? What if she is involved, then what? You ask her nicely to tell you everything she knows?"

"No, I'll kick her ass."

Ali cracked a smile and realized that she was in fact, being ridiculous. Anything was worth trying to clear her name and take down Michael.

"And if we're both wrong, I guess you'll have to put up with me longer than expected."

"I'll have no regrets," Em answered smoothly.

"Keep going."

Emily nodded, "I confront Val while you're getting to Reyes, I suggest you set something up beforehand and maybe plan to meet in the same supply closet, I know where that is, so if we just time it, I will get there just after you."

"Right, no worries about watching my back, because if he is helping Michael...there won't be anyone else in there still breathing beside me."

The dark tone startled Emily but she thought about what she would do if somehow Valerie was also connected. If it was true...it would be the reason Emily serves more than just a few months locked up.

"What are we supposed to do though if we find out that either of them is actually helping Michael, it's not like we can tell the cops, we're convicted criminals in their eyes, our truth won't matter."

"You're right, but that's why we have Spencer. She'll find a way. She has people looking into Reyes and I'm sure she can do the same about Val. From there, I don't know."

"I don't know Emily, this doesn't really sound like a plan. It just sounds like a bad idea now."

"Maybe it is, but maybe it's not. We won't know unless we try, but we have to do something. I can't just sit here and not do anything when I think that there's something to be done."

"I can't either, I've been sitting back this whole time, and then you come, and now I can't even stand the thought of waiting another second."

Emily smiled, proud she would say, of the woman in front of her. It was crazy, it had only been what? Days? A little over a week and some change, yet she could feel something so raw and comforting, new but welcomed settle inside her very being and she knew, without any doubt that Alison was-

Waving her hands in front of her face.

"What?"

"Em, I'm going to start calling you spaceman."

"What?" She repeated, genuinely lost.

"Spaceman, because you keep spacing out, or looking right through things like when you stare up at the sky and just try to see past the blankets of black and pick out all of the stars and galaxies that you think are stars hat you can.

"Spaceman."

"Yep, spaceman."

"Shouldn't it be space_woman?"_

"Nope, spaceman has a nicer ring to it."

Emily grinned and shook her head, "remind me to get a blank sheet of paper so that you can keep the list of my nicknames on it for me, I'd hate to forget."

"You'd forget periodically, because you'd just space out and forget that there was even a list to remember."

Em shook her head again, why did it have to be here, like this, that she had to meet the most intriguing person she had ever met? Why, in this place was she imagining the life she could be living with this bright eyed, fragile with a rough exterior, blonde beauty?

"Alison?"

"Yeah?"

Alison's smile started to shrink slowly and she waited for more words to come from Em's mouth.

Emily on the other hand, sat frozen, the words like bile in her mouth. She should spit them out but like when she tried Hanna's own spin off of an old family recipe, she forced it down. Stay down, she coaxed silently, sit in my belly and digest dammit.

I think I'm falling in love with you...I think I am in love with you.

That's the vomit she forced back down.

She couldn't spew it out and make a mess. Not now, Emily thought, the time just wasn't right.

Ali still looked at her with those eyes, and her own brown orbs swallowed in the view, and she thought that maybe there was nothing else to do right now in this moment but kiss Alison.

And so she did.

She shot her hands out fast but gentle against the sides of Ali's face. She breathed in the scent of the woman and looked down at those delicate lips, then the ice blue eyes saying yes to her unasked question.

Yes, yes, yes, do it she thought.

She smashed her lips into Alison's and forgot that she should be gentle and it should be slow, she forgot that she wanted to make a promise to not kiss her until after a good first date, a real one with a fancy car, a nice restaurant, real food, the bill that she'd pick up, the ride to her house to drop her off and walk her to her door and kiss her goodnight.

Emily forgot that. Alison's mouth moving against hers in perfect harmony did that to her.

Instead Emily kissed Alison like they were the last two humans to exist in their part of the world and were doomed to be apart as soon as they let go of one another and this kiss, this kiss was their final kiss, a kiss between two lovers that would be their last, so it had to be good, better than all the kisses they had ever shared before, it had to be passionate and raw and hungry and everything that it was right now. it was perfect.

It was a perfect could be our last kiss.

Neither wanted it to end. Maybe the end of the world was near after all and they should spend the rest of the time that they have lip locked, breathless, panting, heart racing, and coming closer to one another until they were a piece of art. Continuous limbs so intertwined it was next to impossible to discern where Emily began and Alison ended, or where Alison started and Emily ended.

They could've stayed like that.

They've could've let the world release them from its grasp and stay exactly how they were but when Emily's thoughts went from the end of the world to the hem of Alison's undershirt, the end of the world vanished and it was only the end of this kiss coming for them.

Their tongues slowed. Ali stopped taking nibbles at Emily's bottom lip and Emily unclenched her hand from the base of Ali's neck, where long blonde tendrils of hair were gently tangled.

Forehead to forehead now, breaths mingled in the small gap of air between their mouths, hands returned to their own bodies, they just sat there.

"Wow," Ali finally broke the silence, breathing resembling what it should 'normally' sound like.

"Wow," Emily repeated because her head was still spinning, or was the room spinning, no it was the world, the world was always spinning, only now she could actually feel it.

"Will they always be like that?" Ali kept her eyes closed, whispering softly to Em who was the same, heavy lidded mess she was.

Emily sighed, laughed once and ran her hands along the lengths of Ali's arms, "I don't know, I hope so."

"Me too."

x-x-x-x-x-x

The moment that the 'bell of sorts' rung out loud through the cold grey walls, indicating the start of the dinner period, Alison and Emily reluctantly disentangled their bodies from the hug/embrace they had been in. They didn't say a word. They looked at one another and knew exactly what had to be done.

Alison left first, knowing that Reyes was bound to stop in the supply closet to grab his not so secret secret stash or cigarettes, after he ate.

That gave Emily only about 20 minutes to find Val, get her alone and find out what she wanted to know...which was how much did she know? She said she knew about a 'her' and a guard. So how much did she know about Alison and Reyes, who was she working for?

So many questions flooded her brain that Emily feared the word vomit would choke her and the plan to get information and protect Alison would be ruined.

Two hundred seventeen steps later and Emily walked into the cafeteria alone.

It was the first thing her 'posse' as Alison called them, noticed, immediately waving and calling Emily's name, almost chiding her for not sitting down with them earlier, saying you missed out, come over here, sit with us, there's enough space for you.

Emily forced a grin and sat down, right next to Aryn, the ex-swimmer mirroring her own height and build and Bubbles, who was stout in comparison, but had the features of a grown baby. Across from Aryn was Aria, and directly in front of Emily was Val.

"Hey Emily," the black haired girl greeted, "we missed you at breakfast earlier."

"Oh," Em started, "I know, I seen you all, it's just that I was-"

"With your girlfriend?" Aryn finished, earning a scoff from Val.

"What? No, Ali isn't my- well she and I- you know what it's none of your business what she is to me."

"Well whatever she is, she doesn't like us, and I don't want to be the one to put you in this situation, but I don't think we can associate ourselves with the likes of her."

"What?" Emily wasn't believing what she was hearing. Aria, was quiet but Emily considered her the leader of this group, so with pleading eyes, Emily looked to Arias wide ones.

"Aria? You're going to make me choose?"

"Emily, you know we all are very fond of you, but Val - I mean we think that if you want to hang with us, then it might be a good idea if you know, you cut her off before she becomes part of your image."

"My image?"

"Yeah," Val pointed out, "you know, you're the innocent one, you have those soft doey eyes that scream how much you don't belong here, but if you hang with the wrong people, everyone will think you're just playing the part."

"Everyone, or just you?"

"Fine Em, sleep around with the cop killer, but don't say we didn't warn you and try to have your-"

"Don't you dare-," Emily stood and raised her voice, stopping when she felt the eyes of everyone else in the cafeteria fall on her. She sat back down, leaned over the table to Valerie and almost growled, "Can we talk to outside?" And when the others moved to get up, Emily shook her head, "just her."

Valerie stood and nodded her head once to let everyone know it was okay. She took a swig of water, "I'll be back. Oh and hey, I heard Ruby and Hazel and the other box crayon color named wackos were supposed to start something with Roza the Polish one - not the Hispanic Rosa - and her gang of thugs today. Come get me if something happens."

Bubbles shook her head, "No, I heard they were doing that tomorrow, something about Roza's son coming to visit her since he left home."

Shrugging nonchalantly, Val stood and turned on her heels, "where are you taking me Stretch?"

Emily grunted and bit her lip, "outside."

Emily took the lead, barging from the cafeteria and walking her way towards the nearest double doors leading to the courtyard, Valerie casually keeping up at her heels.

When they were out of earshot, Emily turned around and got her face right into Valerie's even though she stood inches below the Emily, Valerie held her ground.

"What is it Em? You didn't like me calling that Alice girl a psycho killer? She should be sent to the SHU, I don't know why they let her around everyone else, I've heard the stories, did you know that-,"

"Those stories are a load of bullshit and probably made up by you! What is your goddamn problem with her anyways, what has she done to you?"

"Me? What's your problem, just say you've been banging her. It's okay Emily, we all have that one dirty fuck and we're ashamed, you don't have to be-"

"I'm not ashamed, Val. I like her, she's nothing like what you think, I'm only ashamed that I thought you and the others would be different but I guess I was wrong."

"You can't actually be serious about her right?" Val took a step back and looked at Emily like she was growing a second head.

"Yes in fact I am, I like her a lot, in fact I think that I may - you know what, I believe in her and I hope to God nothing bad happens to her, which is why I wanted to talk to you alone."

"Me?"

Emily nodded and closed the distance between the two and in a deadly serious tone, she said lowly, "I heard you the other day. Tell me what you know Val, or else you'll regret the day you pranced around with a picket sign so stupidly enough that you got thrown in here with me."

Unwavering, but swallowing hard, Val jutted her chin out, "I talk on the phone all the time, I don't know what you heard."

"I heard enough to not trust you," Emily only began. "I heard enough that I've been thinking that only one of us will be walking back through those doors in the next few minutes."

"Care to refresh my memory? I might have been talking about my mom, or my dog Fido, hmm maybe I was asking my sister how my nieces were doing or if they've been feeding my fish."

Emily could hear the sarcasm lace thickly in her voice and as if on its own accord, Emily's body lurched forward, hands finding shoulders and pushing them back into the cold chain link fence until a groan was heard, "what the fuck?! Guards!"

"No. More. Games." Emily was primal now, eyes wild, heart uncontrollable, hands slightly shaking.

"Okay, what do you want?" Valerie surprised herself and Emily at how easily she conceded, "let go of me and I'll tell you what you want, whatever I know, if you ask, I'll give you the answer."

"Do not mess with me Val, I like you, I don't want to have to hurt you. I don't need a sharpened end of a toothbrush, or a gang of women behind me...my dad serves in the military, he taught me enough to hurt someone so bad they never recover, do you hear me?"

The gravel and dark in Emily's voice chilled Val to the bone. She told herself to blame the fence just two layers from her skin, but she knew damn well why she shivered.

"Tell me what you know about the guard and inmate that have been meeting in supply closets."

Val almost laughed when she heard it. She thought that Emily was going to kill her with her thumb for some real dirty inside scoop about anything she might know...like the drug smuggling, the homemade alcohol hiding in Johnston's bunk. Maybe about the sex happening in laundry room or expired food delivered for their consumption, but no instead, Emily was making death threats about-

"Are you laughing?" Emily's eyes had gone almost completely black and Val snapped her mouth shut when Emily raised her first for the first time in...her life.

She was going to hit this laughing idiot right now. She didn't care about wearing a shoe or whatever the hell they called being sent into solitary. She snarled one time before someone yelled her name, "Emily, no! Wait. Em, stop!"

Emily let go of her grip on one of Val's shoulders and took a careful step back.

"Alison what are you-,"

But when she looked up, she seen that Ali wasn't alone.

"What are you doing here?"

"Trying to stop you from doing something really stupid." It was Reyes, clad in his uniform, arms outstretched cautiously, waiting for Emily to back away from completely from Val.

Valerie looked between the three of them and fixed her shirt, "what the hell is going on here?"

Emily's eyes were wide with confusion, fear, and anger before Alison came to her side, "Emily we got it all wrong, Josh isn't involved with Michael. The pictures Spencer 'found' were faked."

"Okay, but what about her?" Em pointed an accusing finger in Valerie's direction.

"Em," Ali grabbed the brunette's face and made her look at her, calming her down, "believe me, it's not what you think, and I'll explain, just come inside right now, we need to get to a phone."

"Why?"

"We need to warn Spencer and Hanna."

Emily looked between Reyes, who she still didn't trust; Val, whose face she was ready to smash in with her fist and Alison, whose eyes looked wide and worried and like things were moving to fast around her.

"So what do we do?" Emily tried to imagine what had happened between Reyes and Ali before they came out here.

"Alison?" Joshua asked quietly.

"We have to start over."

Great, Emily thought, just great.

x-x-x-x-x

_**AN: ooooooh I can't wait to write the next three chapters, I so so happy about them...also, I'm developing carpal tunnel in my right hand/arm just like my mom and grandma...yay for genes! I tried not to cry while writing any of this...fuuuuuuuuck lol**_

_**I'll be back tomorrow with that second update I promised. I can't upload tonight because I'm supposed to be waking up in four hours...dammit *cries myself to sleep**_


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